Baylor (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) is set to take on West Virginia (5-4, 4-2) on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST, airing on ESPN2.
The odds from BetMGM have Baylor favored by three points.
In the historical matchup, West Virginia holds a lead with eight victories against Baylor’s four.
This game holds significant implications, as a victory for either team would secure bowl eligibility. Baylor enters the contest following a bye week and is currently enjoying a three-game winning streak that has helped them recover from a rocky 2-4 start.
Meanwhile, West Virginia is riding its own momentum with two consecutive road wins, though they are looking to avoid suffering a fourth loss at home this season.
A crucial aspect of the matchup will be the performance of West Virginia’s defense against Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson.
The junior has shown notable improvement during the Bears’ winning streak, throwing for eight touchdowns and only one interception.
He has also been effective on the ground, averaging 5.4 yards per carry, including two games where he’s rushed for over 73 yards.
In last year’s matchup against West Virginia, Robertson completed 17 of 19 passes for 219 yards, but that was ultimately a loss for Baylor.
This season, West Virginia’s defense has struggled against opposing quarterbacks, allowing an average of 14.4 yards per completed pass and tying with Cincinnati for the fewest interceptions in the conference at four.
Highlighted players for Baylor include running back Bryson Washington, who achieved a season-best performance with 196 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a previous game against TCU.
He is currently averaging 6 yards per carry this season and has also contributed with 15 receptions.
For West Virginia, the focus is on either quarterback Garrett Greene or Nicco Marchiol.
Coach Neal Brown has expressed uncertainty regarding Greene’s readiness to return after being sidelined with an upper body injury for the past two games.
Marchiol has successfully led the team to victories in both games he started in Greene’s absence, including a recent win against Cincinnati.
Greene, known for being the leading rushing quarterback in the Big 12, has, however, struggled with interceptions, throwing two in losses against Iowa State and No. 20 Kansas State.
In terms of statistics, the Baylor linebacking pair of Matt Jones and Thomas Keaton has been impressive, combining for an average of 18 tackles per game.
Additionally, West Virginia has been outscored in the second half of seven out of nine games this season.
Baylor has displayed a powerful offense, averaging close to 45 points per game during this recent streak.
The Bears look to clinch bowl eligibility for the third time in head coach Dave Aranda’s five seasons, while West Virginia aims for its fourth bowl appearance in six years under Neal Brown.