The Baylor Bears (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (2-3, 0-2) meet in a conference game Thursday at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Baylor vs. West Virginia odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Bears are looking to rebound after a 36-25 setback against Oklahoma State at home last weekend. Baylor failed to cover against the Cowboys, but it hasn’t had consecutive non-covers since Nov. 14-28, 2020.
The Mountaineers were humbled at Texas last time out on Oct. 1, falling 38-20. They have lost both games inside the conference and fell 55-42 at home to Kansas in OT on Sept. 10. It is 2-1 SU/3-0 ATS in non-conference games, and 0-2 SU/ATS inside the Big 12.
Baylor is No. 23 in the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
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Baylor at West Virginia odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:41 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Baylor -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | West Virginia +140 (bet $100 to win $140)
- Against the spread (ATS): Baylor -3.5 (-105) | West Virginia +3.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 54.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Baylor at West Virginia picks and predictions
Prediction
Baylor 33, West Virginia 27
Moneyline
BAYLOR (-165) is a moderate favorite, but it isn’t a bad play if you simply want to pick a winner and not worry about the points. Three and a hook can be a scary number, especially on the road.
Against the spread
BAYLOR -3.5 (-105) is worth playing lightly in this road game. It has posted covers in 4 of its last 5 games on the road and is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games overall. The Bears are also an impressive 20-4-2 ATS in the past 26 games following a non-cover, too.
West Virginia has failed to cover in 5 of the past 6 games inside the conference, although the home team is 4-1 ATS in the past 5 meetings in this series. Go lightly.
Over/Under
OVER 54.5 (-110) is the lean and worth playing a half-unit or more. Baylor’s offense is strong, registering 37.4 PPG to rank 26th in the nation. But the defense is 37th overall, yielding just 20.6 PPG.
West Virginia is in a similar boat offensively, scoring 38.2 PPG, but it allows 29.6 PPG. This won’t be a track meet, but it also won’t be confused with a defensive masterpiece, either.
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