Sign In $
College Basketball

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Baylor Bears Predictions, Picks, Odds

Daniel Dobish
Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read

The West Virginia Mountaineers (13-7, 2-5 Big 12) travel to meet the Baylor Bears (18-3, 6-2) in a Big 12 conference matchup at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN.

SCORE PREDICTION

Baylor 78, West Virginia 62

BEST BETS

Baylor -14 (-110) at PointsBet

Over 136.5 (-110) at BetMGM

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS VS. BAYLOR BEARS PREDICTIONS

The Mountaineers are skidding hard, falling in five consecutive games dating back to Jan. 11. That skid includes a 77-68 loss at home against Baylor as 4.5-point underdogs in Morgantown as the OVER connected. West Virginia had three scorers go for 17 or more points, including the usual suspects Sam McNeil and Taz Sherman, while Malik Curry stepped up with 19 points off the bench to serve as a tertiary scoring option.

West Virginia fell 77-68 at Arkansas in the Big 12/SEC Challenge as the OVER connected over the weekend. The Mountaineers hit just 38% (23-of-60) from the field, while knocking down just 27% (7-of-26) from downtown. They ended up with just nine turnovers, which was a positive, while the Razorbacks dusted the Mountaineers 41-26 on rebounds.

Baylor was cooled off at Alabama in the Big/12 SEC Challenge, losing 87-78 as three-point favorites as the OVER cashed. That snapped a 3-0 SU/ATS run for the Bears. The Bears are just 2-2 SU/1-3 ATS in four conference games at home, although they crushed Kansas State 74-49 as a 12.5-point favorite last Tuesday in Waco as the UNDER cashed.

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS VS. BAYLOR BEARS BETTING ODDS

  • West Virginia +750
  • Baylor -1200
  • West Virginia +14.5 (-110)
  • Baylor -14.5 (-110)
  • Over 136.5 (-110)
  • Under 136.5 (-110)

More Odds | Futures Odds

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS VS. BAYLOR BEARS BETTING RESOURCES

  • Matchup: Big 12
  • Date: Monday, January 31, 2022
  • Venue: Ferrell Center
  • Location: Waco, Texas
  • TV-Time: ESPN - 9:00 p.m. ET

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 13-7
  • ATS: 8-12
  • O/U: 11-9

The Mountaineers last posted a cover Jan. 11 against Oklahoma State, scoring 68 or fewer points in each of their five games during the current losing streak. They have also allowed 77 or more points in four of the past five outings, cashing the OVER in all five games during the skid, and eight of the past nine games overall. Again, that includes the first meeting against Baylor on Jan. 18.

West Virginia is 0-4 ATS in the past four games on the road, while going 0-5 ATS in the past five outings against teams with a winning overall record. The Mountaineers are also 0-4 ATS in the past four road outings against a team with a winning home record.

More on totals, the OVER is 13-3 in the past 16 road games, while cashing in six of the past seven against teams with an overall winning record. The OVER is 5-0 in the past five following a straight-up loss, while going 4-0 in the past four following a non-cover.

BAYLOR BEARS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 18-3
  • ATS: 12-8-1
  • O/U: 11-9-1

Baylor has been red-hot against the number lately, going 17-8-1 ATS in the past 26 game overall. The Bears are also 37-18 ATS in the past 55 games against teams with a winning overall record, while going 1-4 ATS in the past five home games.

In terms of the totals, the OVER is 17-8 in the past 25 home games, while going 4-1 in the past five against teams with a winning overall record. The OVER is 9-4 in the past 13 games at home against teams with a losing road record, too.

L.J. Cryer, the team's leading scorer, is a question mark, as apparently his surgically-repaired foot is acting up. He missed the Alabama game due to soreness, so obviously if he cannot go, that changes the outlook for Baylor.


Baylor has posted a 17-8-1 ATS mark in the past 26 games overall. (AP)

INSIDE THE STATS - WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

  • Record: 13-7
  • VI Ranking: 42
  • PS/G: 68.3 (262nd)
  • PA/G: 65.5 (81st)
  • ORtg: 99.7 (240th)
  • DRtg: 95.5 (96th)

INSIDE THE STATS - BAYLOR BEARS

  • Record: 18-3
  • VI Ranking: 10
  • PS/G: 78.7 (30th)
  • PA/G: 60.6 (20th)
  • ORtg: 113.3 (21st)
  • DRtg: 87.3 (9th)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • WVU: Sean McNeil - G (13.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 43.4 FG%)
  • WVU: Taz Sherman - G (18.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.6 SPG)
  • BAY: James Akinjo - G (12.9 PPG, 5.7 APG, 2.5 RPG, 2.2 SPG)
  • BAY: L.J. Cryer - G (13.9 PPG, 1.7 APG, 1.6 RPG, 46.7 3P%)

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS VS. BAYLOR BEARS BETTING CONCLUSION

West Virginia is really in a nosedive, and a trip to Baylor won't be the elixir to cure its ills. The Mountaineers might catch a break with Cryer still battling soreness, and he might sit out a second consecutive outing. However, even if Cryer cannot go, the Bears have Akinjo, Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer and company who are more than capable of picking up the slack.

Until the Mountaineers start to show some signs of life, keep fading them. In addition, Baylor should be able to roll up a healthy amount of points against the defensively-challenged Mountaineers, with or without Cryer.

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS VS. BAYLOR BEARS BETTING TRENDS

  • West Virginia is 0-5 ATS in the past five games overall.
  • West Virginia is 0-4 ATS in the past four road games.
  • West Virginia is 0-5 ATS in the past five vs. winning teams.
  • Baylor is 17-8-1 ATS in the past 26 games overall.
  • Baylor is 1-4 ATS in the past five home games.
  • Baylor is 37-18 ATS in the past 55 games vs. winning teams.
  • The OVER is 5-0 in the past five games overall for West Virginia.
  • The OVER is 13-3 in the past 16 home games for West Virginia.
  • The OVER is 6-1 in the past seven vs. winning teams for West Virginia.
  • The OVER is 17-8 in the past 25 home games for Baylor.
  • The OVER is 4-1 in the past five games vs. winning teams for Baylor.
  • The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings.

College Basketball News

Daniel Dobish

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish
•