The West Virginia Mountaineers take on the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Baylor is favored by 8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -400. The total is set at 136 points.
Here are my West Virginia vs. Baylor predictions and college basketball picks for February 15, 2025.
West Virginia vs Baylor Prediction
My Pick: Baylor -8.5 (Play to -9)
My West Virginia vs Baylor best bet is on the Bears spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
West Virginia vs Baylor Odds, Spread, Pick
| West Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 136 -110 / -110 | +320 |
| Baylor Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 136 -110 / -110 | -400 |
- West Virginia vs Baylor spread: Baylor -8.5
- West Virginia vs Baylor over/under: 136 points
- West Virginia vs Baylor moneyline: Baylor -400, West Virginia +320
- West Virginia vs Baylor best bet: Baylor -8.5 (Play to -9)
My West Virginia vs Baylor College Basketball Betting Preview
We have an interesting matchup in the Big 12 — two teams, Baylor and West Virginia, that are likely in decent position to make the NCAA Tournament but are a few losses away from approaching the bubble.
The Mountaineers are very thin on the offensive end, ranking 102nd in efficiency. Their best player — Javon Small — is a likely All-American, but the injury to his cohort — Tucker DeVries — has pushed Small into a role where he's the only trustworthy scorer.
Of late, teams have decided Small can beat them as a passer, but they won't let him beat them as a shooter. He shot the ball five times versus Utah and four versus BYU, with eight-plus assists in the two games.
Nobody else on West Virginia's roster outside of Small averaged double figures. The closest is sophomore big Amani Hansberry at 9.5 points per game and freshman wing Jonathan Powell at 8.6 points.
Part of the problem for West Virginia is it attempts 3s on 46% of its shots, but it isn't a good shooting team (33%).
Plus, it doesn't get many offensive rebounds (25% offensive rebound rate), nor puts pressure on the rim or draws fouls (343rd in free throw rate). West Virginia's offense is just very mediocre, and Small needs to put the Superman cape on at all times.
Defense is holding West Virginia above water, as it ranks 16th in efficiency on that end of the floor. Even when the offense has abandoned it, the defense has saved the day.
Darian DeVries can toss pressure at teams, causing a 20% turnover rate. On the flip side, teams tend to find lanes to shoot outside of the pressure, converting on 37% from 3.
What if I told you all it took was an injury to Josh Ojianwuna for me to finally believe in Baylor? Well, that's the case.
The four-guard lineup Baylor can play next to Norchad Omier is super enticing. Scott Drew can pair freshman phenom Robert Wright III with veteran Jeremy Roach, Jayden Nunn, Langston Love or VJ Edgecombe, alongside Omier.
All six of those options can easily average 10+ points per game.
It'll be very difficult to contain some form of that lineup. Just ask Houston, which surrendered 1.12 PPP. That game resulted in a double-digit loss, but scoring over 1.00 PPP versus that defense is no easy task, so it's something to build upon for Baylor.
Nobody is taller than 6-foot-7, which is Omier and Edgecombe. But the amount of floor-spacing, ball-handling and shooting on the floor will enhance Omier's game, as he felt slightly minimized by Ojianwuna having to float around the paint, pushing the mediocre-shooting Omier to the perimeter.
Even with the bigger lineup, Baylor sat 11th in offensive efficiency, but I see top-five efficiency potential with the new four-guard unit.
Edgecombe has been amazing in conference play, scoring 14+ points in 10 consecutive games while improving his 3-point percentage to 38%. He's an absolute difference-maker for this Bears team.
The Bears have been dominant in Waco, winning their last four home games by eight-plus points, including victories over Kansas and Kansas State. They've covered the spread at a 63% clip at home this year.
