West Virginia vs Baylor Expert College Football Picks 10/31/2019

Thursday, October 31, 2019

McLane Stadium

Austin Kendall and the West Virginia Mountaineers are headed to McLane Stadium on Thursday where they'll take on the Baylor Bears. The spread on this contest has Baylor as 17-point favorites. The Mountaineers are 2-4-1 ATS and 4-3-0 when betting on the total. The Bears are 4-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-3-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the West Virginia Mountaineers took on the Oklahoma Sooners and lost 52-14. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Mountaineers was Austin Kendall who went 15/31 with 182 yards passing and tossed 2 touchdowns. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Leddie Brown led the team on the ground during the game. He broke a long run for 7 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He racked up a total of 28 yards via 16 carries which meant he averaged 1.8 yards per carry. T.J. Simmons led the team in receiving yardage by earning 74 yards on 6 receptions. He notched an average of 12.3 yards per catch during the game. The Mountaineers rushed the ball a total of 30 times and earned 51 yards giving them an average of 1.7 yards per attempt. In the game, the Mountaineers totaled 15 first downs and they had 4 penalties for 29 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. On the day, they totaled 64 plays for 242 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, West Virginia allowed 18 completions on 21 tries totaling 363 yards, and a completion percentage of 85.7%. For this contest, they allowed a total of 560 yards but went the whole game without forcing a turnover. On the ground, the Mountaineers allowed 197 yards on 38 tries which is an average of 5.2 yards per attempt allowed.

The Mountaineers come into this matchup with a record of 3-4 for the 2019 season. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 22.7 points per contest, which has them at 104th in D-1. As a unit, they have an average of 88.1 yards on the ground per contest which is 10th in the Big 12. For total yardage, they currently sit at 10th in the conference and 126th in D-1 with 2,199 yards. The Mountaineers have one of the worst defenses in college football, giving up 33.4 points per game putting them 10th in the Big 12 Conference. When it comes to rushing yards, West Virginia is allowing 179.1 yards per game which has them at 8th in the conference and 88th in the nation. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.3 yards per carry which has them at 6th in the Big 12 and 68th in D-1 overall. In total, they have allowed 1,254 yards rushing through 7 contests. When it comes to passing yards, the Mountaineers have allowed 1,582 yards. Opponents are completing 62.1% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.8 yards per try.

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The last time they took the field, the Baylor Bears took on the Oklahoma State Cowboys and won 45-27. JaMycal Hasty led the team in rushing for that game. He had a long run of 73 yards and he ran for 2 TD's for the game. He ran for 146 yards via 16 carries which meant he was running for 9.1 yards per run. Josh Fleeks was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 126 yards on 3 catches. He earned an average of 42.0 yards per catch for that game. Leading the way at QB for the Bears was Charlie Brewer who went 13/17 with 312 yards passing and threw 1 touchdown. He ended the game without an interception. The Bears ended up rushing 37 times and earned 224 yards which gave them an average of 6.1 yards per rush. In the game, they finished with a total of 54 plays which added up to 536 yards. For the contest, the Bears got 18 1st downs and they totaled 7 penalties for 66 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, Baylor gave up 22 completions on 36 throws totaling 188 yards, and a completion percentage of 61.1%. In the game, they gave up a total of 469 yards and forced 3 takeaways. On the ground, the Bears gave up 281 yards on 50 runs which is an average of 5.6 yards per carry allowed.

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The Bears head into this game 7-0. In discussing the offensive production, the Bears have one of the best offenses in college football. Baylor has shown the nation they have a formidable rushing attack by averaging 202.7 rushing yards per contest, which has them at 32nd in college football. As a team, they have a total of 1,419 yards rushing through 7 contests, and if they want to continue their dominance, they'll want to keep running the ball. The Bears average 484.1 yards per contest overall putting them 13th in Division 1 and 3rd in the conference. The Bears are giving up 19.1 points per game which puts them at 1st in the Big 12 Conference and 19th in Division 1. In regard to points given up, they have given up 134 points in total. In discussing yards rushing, they are conceding 137.4 yards per contest ranking them 43rd in the country and 3rd in the Big 12 Conference. For this season, they have allowed a total of 962 yards on the ground and 11.2 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the middling groups in the country. They are allowing 221.1 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Bears are currently ranked 4th in the Big 12.

Who will win tonight's Mountaineers/Bears college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Bears -17

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