The No. 2 Baylor Bears (5-0) look to extend their unbeaten streak as they play the West Virginia Mountaineers (3-2). A player to watch in this matchup is the nation’s fourth-leading receiver, Corey Coleman (678 yards, 13 TDs). It starts at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 17 and will air on FOX.
Baylor cruised past Kansas 66-7 last week. Shock Linwood had a big game on the ground in the win, gaining 135 yards and one TD on 13 carries. Corey Coleman also had a big day, contributing 108 receiving yards and two TDs on seven receptions. West Virginia didn’t have the same success as Baylor, getting beat by Oklahoma State 33-26. Wendell Smallwood had an outstanding performance on the ground for the Mountaineers, rushing for 147 yards and one TD on 19 carries. Shelton Gibson had a big game as well, totaling 84 receiving yards and a TD on five receptions.
The Bears are a substantial 18-point favorite and the Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently unavailable.
The Bears enter the game with records of 5-0 Straight Up (SU) and 3-2 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. The Bears have a strong running game with an average of 7.4 yards per carry, good enough for tops in the country. As for the Baylor defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. When it comes to defending the run, Baylor is one of the best in the country, only giving up 3.1 yards per rushing attempt. The Mountaineers need to watch out for Baylor’s tenacious defense. It averages the ninth-most turnovers with 2.6 per game. Keep an eye on Baylor to turn it up a notch during the second quarter, when it averages a Division I-best 18.4 points per game.
On the other side, the Mountaineers were a poor bet so far this season, with a disappointing record of 2-3 ATS. Their SU record, 3-2, hasn’t been quite as bad. The Mountaineers rely heavily on their run game, averaging 51.8 rushing attempts per game. Switching gears to the West Virginia defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Bears. The Bears need to hold on to the ball if they want a shot against the turnover-minded Mountaineers. The West Virginia defense generates 3.2 turnovers per game, second in the country. Baylor tends to lose the time of possession battle during games, averaging a time of 26:57 for 115th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – West Virginia
Notes
Baylor is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baylor’s last 6 games.
Baylor is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Baylor’s last 8 games at home.
West Virginia is 3-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Baylor is 5-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
The Baylor defense has forced an average of 2.6 turnovers per game this season. West Virginia is only 1-2 SU when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
Dating back to last year, Baylor is 10-1 SU against Big 12 opponents, while West Virginia is 5-6 SU against in-conference foes.
The Baylor rushing attack is ranked second nationally, compared to the 47th-ranked run defense of West Virginia.
