Baylor vs. West Virginia Betting: Will the Mountaineers avoid an 0-3 start in Big 12 play?

Morgantown, West Virginia has been a tough place to play for many a visiting college football team over the years. Will that prove to be the case on Thursday night when the Bears of Baylor comes to town for a Big 12 showdown with the Mountaineers?

Neither team is where they would want to be at this juncture of the season. After opening the season in the top ten, Baylor is now unranked after losses to BYU and Oklahoma State, and they can ill-afford another loss if they want to have a chance to defend their Big 12 crown.

West Virginia didn’t come into the season with such lofty expectations, but the Mountaineers needed to make some positive strides–and get some wins–for the sake of coach Neal Brown’s job security.

A win over Baylor won’t get Brown off of the hot seat, but it could serve as a jumping-off point for a much-needed run with winnable games ahead.

Baylor Bears vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Baylor Bears (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
• Venue & Location: Milan Puskar Stadium (Morgantown, West Virginia)
• Date: Thursday, October 10, 2022
• Game Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Baylor vs. West Virginia: FS1

Baylor vs. West Virginia Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Spread

• Baylor -3.5 (-105)
• West Virginia +3.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 54.5 (-115)
• Under 54.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Baylor -166
• West Virginia +138

Baylor vs. West Virginia Prediction and Betting Picks

Baylor vs. West Virginia Prediction: West Virginia to win

Baylor vs. West Virginia Picks: West Virginia to cover (Best Value: +3.5 @ -110 at Bovada Sportsbook) & Baylor/West Virginia over (Best Value: over 54.5 @ -110 at Bovada Sportsbook & BetMGM)

Baylor QB Blake Shapen threw for 345 yards last time out in a loss to Oklahoma State, but the ground game is the key to success for the Bears.

That is an area where the Mountaineers are strong defensively, allowing just 100.6 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry.

If the Mountaineers can stop the run, the Bears could be in big trouble.

Baylor’s ideal gameplan does not involve Shapen having to chuck it 40+ times, throw for 300+ yards, and win games with his arm on a regular basis, and if they are forced into that position, West Virginia will be well-positioned to win.

Offensively, West Virginia actually averages almost as many yards per game on the ground as Baylor, but if QB JT Daniels can get some time to throw, this will be an opportunity for him to show why he was considered a Heisman Trophy contender prior to last season at Georgia.

There are certainly a lot of ifs at play here, but I like the way this matchup plays into West Virginia’s hands and think they will be up to the task on Thursday night.

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