[3:35 PM] Baylor @ #16 West Virginia

What will be the GAME RESULT?

#16 West Virginia: Wins By 15+ Points

Any Other Result

 

• The line for this game is West Virginia by 17.5  points.

• West Virginia saw its hopes of winning the Big 12 Conference title evaporate with a home loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 19. However, the 13th-ranked Mountaineers still have plenty of incentive going into their conference finale on Saturday against visiting Baylor.

•  The Bears have dropped five in a row since a 6-0 start that included an impressive 35-24 victory over Oklahoma State and are coming off an embarrassing 54-35 loss to a Texas Tech team that finished the season 5-7. Freshman quarterback Zach Smith, who has taken over for injured starter Seth Russell (ankle surgery), passed for 377 yards and three touchdowns against the Red Raiders and will be making his third collegiate start. Wide receiver KD Cannon has been a standout on an otherwise lackluster offense this season, catching 68 passes for 905 yards and 10 touchdowns while Terence Williams has become the Bears’ go-to running back with 149 carries for 855 yards and 10 TDs.

•  Senior quarterback Skyler Howard has been under the radar nationally in a quarterback-rich Big 12 but is having one of the top seasons statistically in school history, completing 230-of-352 passes for 3,083 yards and 24 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. Three Mountaineers have 40 or more receptions, including senior Daikiel Shorts (55 catches, 815 yards, four TDs), while Holgorsen – with injuries to his top three running backs – decided to take the redshirt off Martell Pettaway last week at Iowa State, and the true freshman responded by rushing 30 times for 180 yards and a score. The defense is led by senior cornerback Rasul Douglas, who is tied for first in the nation with eight interceptions to go along with 60 tackles.

• The series is tied at 2-2, but West Virginia has won both of the previous meetings in Morgantown, posting a 70-63 victory in 2012 and a 41-27 triumph two years later.

• Baylor ranks fourth nationally in total offense (530.9 yards) while West Virginia is 10th (514.6).

• The Bears are 7-1 in the month of December since 2011.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: #16 West Virginia: Wins By 15+ Points 

Confidence: 5/10

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