West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Baylor Bears Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – February 27, 2017

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Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers (23-6, 11-5 Big 12)

Point Spread: +1

No. 12 West Virginia just escaped by the skin of its teeth as it squeaked past TCU, 61-60. Jevon Carter continued his impressive stretch with a team-high 15 points. He’s averaging 21 points over his last three games. The Mountaineers have now won three games in a row and five of their last six games. However, they’ve failed to cover any of the three games during their current win streak (0-2-1).

Press Virginia’s trademark suffocating defense is working just fine. They’ve forced at least 19 turnovers in four of their last six games.

Of course, that press worked better than it has all conference long in WVU’s first meeting against Baylor. They forced the then-No. 1 team in the country to 29 turnovers as they rolled to an 89-68 win. Nathan Adrian went for 22 points and 6 rebounds in that game, while Carter had 17 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals.

West Virginia has been a bit of a mixed bag on the road this season. They’re 5-3 (4-4 ATS) in eight conference road games. But they should have a very good chance of sweeping a Baylor team that simply couldn’t make any adjustments to their press in the first meeting.

Betting on the Baylor Bears (23-6, 10-6 Big 12)

Point Spread: -1

Baylor’s 20-1 start feels like a distant memory. The Bears have gone just 3-5 in their eight games since, and have lost three of their last four games after going down to Iowa State, 72-69. Johnathan Motley had a monster game with 27 points and 11 rebounds, but the Baylor defense just couldn’t stop the Cyclones, who shot a sizzling 58 percent from the field.

That’s hardly ideal preparation for their rematch against West Virginia. Even worse news for the Bears is the ankle injury to point guard Manu Lecomte which forced him to leave the second half of the Iowa State game.

Lecomte, who finished with 7 points, 2 assists, and 5 turnovers in his first meeting with the Mountaineers, is a doubt to play in the rematch. Beating Press Virginia will be that much harder without the team’s floor general.

Even home-court advantage likely won’t help Baylor, especially against the spread. The Bears are a dreadful 1-7 ATS at home this season. On the flipside, the UNDER has gone 7-1 during those eight games.

Writer’s Prediction

West Virginia (+1) suffocates Baylor a second time this season and leaves Waco with a 77-69 win.

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