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A primetime Thursday night Big 12 clash between two programs looking to find their footing will take place as the Baylor Bears storm into Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. With that being said, it is time to check out our College Football odds series, where our Baylor-West Virginia prediction and pick will be revealed.
After a grueling duel with the ninth-ranked team in the entire nation, the Bears saw themselves come up short in a showdown with Oklahoma State that saw Baylor almost pull off an improbable comeback after trailing 23-3. When the clock hit triple zeroes, the Bears did not have enough gas to come out on top as they went down in defeat to the top team in the Big 12 36-25. Now at 3-2 overall with a 1-1 conference record, Baylor will look to get back on track back out on the road.
Dropping their last contest in Austin by a score of 38-20 after winning two in a row prior, West Virginia is eager to get back into the win column in a conference clash under the lights in front of their home crowd. At 2-3 overall, a hard-earned victory over the Bears would instill some life back into a Mountaineers program that is fighting for bowl eligibility.
Here are the Baylor-West Virginia college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Baylor-West Virginia Odds
Baylor: -3.5 (-106)
West Virginia: +3.5 (-114)
Over: 54.5 (-115)
Under: 54.5 (-105)
Why Baylor Could Cover The Spread
Ranked as the 16th-best team in the nation according to the AP poll prior to last week's action, the defending Big 12 champs head into Week 7 of the college football season in uncharted territory in comparison to a year ago. Regardless, Baylor is still a rock-solid crew that has the makeup to reel off several consecutive wins in a row.
Starting against the Mountaineers, it will be important for the Bears to show some life on the defensive side of the ball. Last week, this was something that was missing in Baylor's upset bid versus the Cowboys, as the Bears surrendered nearly 400 yards of total offense and failed to get stops when the team needed it the most. Statistically, Baylor isn't a very strong team defensively but they are able to break but not bend at times.
On the season, they are allowing a solid 20.7 points per game and are even only giving up 320 yards per game, which is considered not too shabby in a conference where offense reigns supreme. If the defense can get some stops and even generate some turnovers to keep the pressure on WVU, then covering the spread may be in store.
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In addition, this is an offense that is led by QB Blake Shapen, who has thrown for 1,118 yards while connecting on a total of nine touchdowns in the air to his fellow wideouts. Against Oklahoma State, the sophomore signal caller dotted up the Cowboys for 345 yards, but he threw a pair of costly interceptions that turned out to be the difference in the game. Without a doubt, the talent jumps out at you when watching this young man, but he needs to show improved decision-making if Baylor is seeking a -3.5 point victory.
Why West Virginia Could Cover The Spread
After participating in a back-breaking defeat to kick off the season against Pittsburgh, the Mountaineers would lose once again the week following before they got back on track with wins against Towson and Virginia Tech. Led by the leadership of head coach Neal Brown who is in his fourth season as the Mountaineers coach, West Virginia is hoping for a little more consistency as their season progresses week by week.
Although it wasn't a tremendous showing versus Texas ten days ago, there were still plenty of positives to take away for a Mountaineers squad that is seeking at least four wins in their seven matchups remaining to ultimately reach a bowl game. For starters, WVU played a rather clean game without turning the football over and even only committed four total penalties for 48 yards. Obviously, this is a winning formula for any team that suits up on the gridiron, as the Mountaineers proved that they are not prone to shooting themselves in the foot and will force their opposition to play the perfect game against them.
Yes, they may have given up 446 yards of offense to a Texas team that was playing their backup quarterback, but West Virginia should be well-rested after having a bye last weekend.
Last but not least, be on the lookout for junior wideout Bryce Ford-Wheaton to be a big difference-maker for the Mountaineers after hauling in eight passes for 93 yards against the Longhorns.
Final Baylor-West Virginia Prediction & Pick
On paper, Baylor is obviously the better team despite two losses already occurring on the schedule, and even though they will be in a rowdy and raucous atmosphere in Morgantown, expect the Bears to bounce back in a big way.
Final Baylor-West Virginia Prediction & Pick: Baylor -3.5 (-106)
