West Virginia vs. Baylor prediction, pick, college basketball odds
02/14/2025 02:14 PM
We’re back with another betting prediction and pick for this upcoming College Basketball tilt in the Big 12 Conference. The West Virginia Mountaineers (15-9, 6-7 Big 12) will take on the Baylor Bears (15-9, 7-6 Big 12) as both teams look to improve upon winning seasons. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a West Virginia-Baylor prediction and pick.
The West Virginia Mountaineers most recently fell to BYU 73-69 for their third loss over the last five games. In six games against ranked opponents this season, the Mountaineers are an impressive 4-2 and will be looking for another win over a higher-ranked opponent in their conference.
The Baylor Bears most recently fell to No. 6 Houston 76-65 as they too have gone 2-3 over their last five. They’ve had to face three ranked opponents over their last four games and are undoubtedly seeing their toughest stretch of the season. They’ll look to improve upon their impressive 11-1 record at home.
Here are the West Virginia-Baylor College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: West Virginia-Baylor Odds
West Virginia: +8.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +290
Baylor: -8.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -375
Over: 133.5 (-115)
Under: 133.5 (-105)
How to Watch West Virginia vs. Baylor
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m. PT
TV: ESPN2
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why West Virginia Will Cover The Spread/Win
The West Virginia Mountaineers are 4-2 against ranked opponents this season, placing them among some elite company as far as underdogs go in College Basketball this season. While they don’t rank anywhere near the top in terms of statistical categories, they always hustle hard on both ends of the floor and have a knack for frustrating much better teams with their pesky defense. Senior guard Javon Small is leading the team with 18.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 1.8 steals per game, getting it done on both ends of the floor. Expect him to be their main spark plug throughout this game.
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞’𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦
@small_javonpic.twitter.com/8wZbtOBx9X
— WVU Men’s Basketball (@WVUhoops) February 14, 2025
Small is also managing a solid 36% mark from three and he’s shooting a career-best 88.6% from the free-throw line. With his ability to drive to the hoop and draw fouls, he could become a handful against a Baylor team that’s averaging 16.2 personal fouls per game. Forward Amani Hansberry has also been a beast rebounding the basketball as of late, so expect him to continue those trends in this one.
Why Baylor Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Baylor Bears are wading through the toughest point of their schedule with another ranked matchup against No. 13 Arizona following this game. They could really use a win right now and they’re happy to get one at home where they’ve gone 11-1 and 7-4 against the spread. They fought hard against Houston and although they managed to cut the lead late into the game, they trailed for the majority and couldn’t get much of their offense humming, despite shooting 60% from three and 57.9% from the field. Their turnovers and personal fouls were the deciding factor in the loss, so expect them to tighten things up at home against WVU.
A cross-court pass for your @raisingcanes Assist of the Game #SicEm | #CultureofJOYpic.twitter.com/He8FzRTtYa
— Baylor Men's Basketball (@BaylorMBB) February 11, 2025
Baylor will need to work the ball through Norchad Omier as their leading scorer and rebounder in the paint. He’s also adding a block per contest, so don’t be surprised if he’s able to deter the Mountaineers from driving the lane. He’ll need to be careful in staying out of foul trouble as his availability on the court is what gives Baylor their best chance to win the game. Averaging a double-double on the season, expect a great battle between Big 12 stars as he goes up against Javon Small.
Final West Virginia-Baylor Prediction & Pick
This should be another fun matchup in the Big 12 as both teams have had similar runs up to this point. While West Virginia has been much better against ranked competition this year, the Baylor Bears have been virtually unbeatable at home and are covering the spread while doing so.
West Virginia is just 1-9 in their last 10 meetings against Baylor while going 3-7 ATS. Furthermore, they’re 2-5 ATS in their last seven games and have a losing record on the road at 3-4. While Baylor is posting much better numbers, it’s even more intriguing that the total Over has gone 8-2 in their last ten meetings including six of the last seven times.
This seems like a great spot for Baylor to bounce back at home and if this game was in West Virginia, we might be singing a different tune with this prediction. However, we’ll follow the trends and back the Baylor Bears to cover at home while the total Over hits.
Final West Virginia-Baylor Prediction & Pick: Baylor -8.5 (-105), Over 133.5 (-115)
The post West Virginia vs. Baylor prediction, pick, college basketball odds appeared first on ClutchPoints.
