It’s the No. 14 West Virginia Mountaineers’ turn to become the first team in the Big 12 to beat the No. 1 Baylor Bears (+900 to win the 2020 Championship) who’ve just been throwing their weight around in the conference this season. Will the Mountaineers stop Baylor? Or will the Bears keep on rolling?
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Betting Preview for the West Virginia Mountaineers vs Baylor Bears NCAA College Basketball Game on February 15 2020
Where: Ferrell Center, Waco
When: Saturday, February 15, 2020, 4:00 PM ET
Line: West Virginia Mountaineers (Odds) vs. Baylor Bears (Odds) – view all 2020 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers (18-5 Overall / 6-4 Conference)
Things are not going to be easy for the Mountaineers. After dealing with No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks this Wednesday, West Virginia will travel to Waco to face the No. 1 team in the nation. The Mountaineers couldn’t seem to establish consistency in Big 12 play, as they have been getting upset from time to time since the start of the conference action. They were stunned by the Kansas State Wildcats on the road after winning three games in a row; they lost to a good Texas Tech Red Raiders team in Lubbock after back-to-back wins; then they got beat by the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman following two consecutive victories. If you have noticed a trend from those details, it’s probably that of West Virginia’s struggles when the team is away from Morgantown. The Mountaineers are 0-3 straight up (SU) and 0-3 against the spread (ATS) in their last three road games. Baylor isn’t going to be the team to bend and hand the Mountaineers a free pass in Waco, but it’s worth noting that West Virginia is 2-1 ATS in its last three trips to Baylor’s home,dating back to 2017.
Betting on the Baylor Bears (22-1 Overall / 11-0 Conference)
While the Mountaineers are having trouble establishing consistency in Big 12 play, the Bears are gobbling up wins at the expense of their conference rivals. Last Monday, Baylor had their 11th win in a row against a Big 12 opponent by beating the Texas Longhorns in Austin, 52-45. As usual, it was Baylor’s choking defense that did most of the trick for the team. The Bears held Texas down to only 30.5 percent shooting from the field and forced the Longhorns to turn the ball over 14 times. The Bears didn’t play so well themselves on offense, making just 34 percent of their shots and collecting 13 turnovers, but their defense was the great difference. Baylor has the third-best scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 58.3 points per game while limiting opponents to only 38.4 percent shooting from the field. Per KenPom, Baylor is fourth in defensive efficiency with just 86.5 points allowed per 100 possessions.
The Bears are 3-2 ATS in their last five games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
Baylor wins, 64-63.
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