Big 12 Basketball: West Virginia vs. Baylor preview, prediction, TV schedule

Kansas may have already won the Big 12, but the West Virginia Mountaineers and Baylor Bears are still jostling for position at the top of the conference standings. These two ranked teams face off on Monday night.

TV Schedule: Monday, Feb. 27, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Arena: Ferrell Center, Waco, TX

Reality has finally set in for the Baylor Bears, who, after starting the season 15-0, have lost five of their last eight games and sit at 23-6 on the season.

The Bears are out of the hunt for the Big 12 regular season title, but are in prime position to earn a better Big 12 Tournament seed by securing a victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Mountaineers travel to Waco, TX, to face Baylor on Monday night.

West Virginia has had one of the easier schedules in the Big 12 as of late, losing just two of their last nine games. Sitting at No. 2 in the Big 12 standings, a win over Baylor would all but solidify their spot in the Big 12 Tournament. The Mountaineers have been a completely different team at home than on the road against top teams, boasting wins over Kansas and Baylor already this season. Can they repeat their massive victory over the then No. 1 Bears on the road?

Both of these teams will feel that they are able to go on a deep 2017 NCAA Tournament run, but I have a feeling that one of these teams loses in the first round to a mid-major in one of this season’s big upsets. Could this game be an indication of which one? Perhaps, but really this is going to be a great game between two really solid Big 12 teams.

Next: Predictions for this week's best match-ups

Expect it to be extremely close, but West Virginia crushed Baylor at home earlier in the season. The Mountaineers are a tough match-up for Baylor’s style, and WVU gets the huge road win.

Prediction: West Virginia 78, Baylor 72