The No.7 Baylor Bears’ chances for a third-consecutive Big 12 title were put to an end when they lost to the 15th-ranked TCU Horned in double overtime, 48-45. They’ll have a chance to unleash all their frustrations and finish off their season with a win opposite another conference rival in the form of the Texas Longhorns this weekend. Can they take care of business this time around?
Read on further for a complete breakdown of this intriguing matchup. And while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of West Virginia vs. Kansas State.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Texas Longhorns vs. Baylor Bears Preview
Where: McLane Stadium, Waco, TX
When: Saturday, December 5, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Texas Longhorns (+20.5) at Baylor Bears (-20.5); total: 68.5 – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Texas Longhorns (4-7, 3-5 Big 12)
Texas’ hopes for a Bowl appearance came to a bitter end after losing to the Red Raiders on Thursday night, 48-45. It was a neck-and-neck game all throughout even though they were missing some of their key starters. But their valiant effort came to waste as they failed to pull off the necessary stops and plays down the stretch.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Despite the loss, the Longhorns did have something to be happy about after the game. Their promising tailback Chris Warren III, who stepped up in place of the injured Johnathan Gray and D’Onta Foreman, had a huge breakout performance for his school. He set a freshman record with 25 carries for 276 yards and four touchdowns under his name.
Meanwhile, injuries continued to pile up for Texas again as their starting signal-caller in Jerrod Heard was forced out of the game due to a head injury he sustained in the first half. His status for their season-finale is questionable.
Moving forward, the Longhorns have one last chance to end another losing year on—at least—a good note when they pay the No. 7 Baylor Bears a visit at McLane Stadium. They are 0-4 SU and ATS on the road this season.
For them to succeed in doing so, they’ll need to stay faithful in their formidable ground attack whether it may be with or without Heard. That said, the Longhorns, who are compiling 231.0 rushing yards per contest, will heavily lean on Warren to lead the charge and hopefully build on his incredible output opposite Texas Tech.
Offense, though, is the least of the Longhorns’ concerns. Their defense will ultimately determine their fate in this tough matchup since Baylor currently averages 50.8 points per game and 616.0 yards of total offense, which are both the highest in the Big 12 this year.
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Betting on the Baylor Bears (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)
Goodbye, Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff dreams. The No. 7 Baylor Bears are still probably having a hard time accepting these realities after a double-overtime defeat (28-21) to No.15 TCU in Fort Worth Friday night. They can blame the rainy weather all they want but it won’t change anything.
The Bears did everything they can to lose that game and surprisingly only lost by three points. They turned the ball over five times and tallied 16 empty offensive possessions while also failing to complete a pass during the second half. The struggle was real indeed.
But what’s done is done and the Bears need to wipe off the tears. They have one more game left on their schedule and it will be against the Texas Longhorns this coming Saturday. Baylor is 4-6 SU and 7-3 ATS in its previous 10 meetings with them.
Expect RB Shock Linwood to have a huge game against a Longhorns team that’s allowing 203.8 rushing yard per game, the third-most in the Big 12 this season. Linwood holds a team-best of 1298 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns and has reached the 100-yard mark six times.
Meanwhile, the air game has also worked in the Bears’ favor throughout the year and they have their junior wideout, Corey Coleman, to thank for this. He’s run for a total of 1314 receiving yards and has reached the end zone 20 times. But it’s worth taking note that Coleman was held to a season-low of eight yards on a single reception opposite the Horned Frogs.
Writer’s Prediction
Baylor breezes through a double-digit victory, 48-27.
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