No. 20 West Virginia has made plenty of noise in the Big 12. The Mountaineers stand a chance of solidifying themselves as a fairly high seed in the tournament when they take on No. 14 Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal.
Is West Virginia the dark horse everybody’s been waiting for? Read on as we break down this intriguing Big 12 matchup.
Excited for all the huge games this championship week? Check out our complete preview for the SEC Tournament here.
[sc:MarchMadness ]West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Baylor Bears Preview
Where: Sprint Center, Kansas City
When: Thursday, March 12, 12:30 PM ET
Line: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Baylor Bears – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers
Seniors Juwan Staten and Gary Browne were in street clothes, but the West Virginia Mountaineers were still too much for Oklahoma State. Devin Williams tied a career-high 22 points to lead the Mountaineers to an 81-72 win.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Williams could not be stopped from dominating inside. Aside from his 22 points, he also had 13 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Williams has averaged 12 points and 10.5 rebounds in the first two meetings against Baylor this season, but he may struggle to get going against Baylor this time around. He had just four points and six rebounds in his last outing against the Bears.
With Williams possibly struggling, Daxter Miles Jr. could provide a scoring punch with some timely baskets from downtown. Miles has made a total of 8-of-15 from three over his last two games, and could exploit a Baylor three-point defense that has struggled recently. Baylor has allowed opponents to make 39 percent of three-pointers over its last three games and 53 percent in its last one.
Still, the Mountaineers have a greater chance of advancing in the tournament with Staten healthy. The senior guard leads the team with 14.5 points and 4.6 assists per game this season. He’s turned it up against some of the best teams in the nation averaging 19.3 points and six assists in his last three against ranked opposition.
West Virginia is 5-1 ATS in its last six games.
Think West Virginia has you covered? Create a betting account now and get in on these hot underdogs from the Big 12.
Betting on the Baylor Bears
Senior night went as planned for Baylor guard Kenny Chery. The Montreal-born Chery was serenaded with the Canadian national anthem, and he electrified the home fans with an outstanding shooting night. Chery went 5-for-10, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, as he finished with 18 points.
Chery hasn’t been too good against West Virginia, though. He’s averaged 7.5 points on 33 percent shooting (17 percent from three) over two games against the Mountaineers this season. He did have a total of eight assists in the two games.
Considering he struggles from the field again, Chery may be better served to utilize his playmaking. He leads Baylor with four assists per game. Finding Rico Gathers and leading-scorer Taurean Prince will be crucial in this game. Gathers and Prince are both averaging at least 17 points against West Virginia this season.
When it comes to crunch time, defense may be the decisive factor in this game. The Bears have played tighter defense in their two-game set against West Virginia. Baylor has collected a total of 21 steals and 13 blocks against the Mountaineers despite averaging 3.9 blocks and 7.9 steals per game in the season.
The Bears have won six of their last seven against West Virginia, going 5-2 ATS in those games.
Writer’s Prediction
Baylor wins, but West Virginia covers the spread.
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