WVU is the Odds-On Favorite to Win the Big 12 Conference Tournament

West Virginia came oh so close to defending its Big 12 regular season title, finishing just one game behind the Kansas Jayhawks, whom they swept, in the standings.

WVU won the title outright last year with 19 conference wins and finished this season with 21, setting a program record. Although they may not have defended their championship crown, they were able to build on what they accomplished a season ago.

This week, they will head out to Surprise, Arizona, for the Big 12 Conference tournament, where they are the odds-on favorite, as the No. 2 seed, to win the championship.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

West Virginia +320
Kansas +380
UCF +450
Oklahoma State +600
Cincinnati +600
Arizona State +600
TCU +1300
Kansas State +2200
Baylor +3000
Texas Tech +4500
BYU +6000
Utah +8000

Examining West Virginia's path to a potential Big 12 title

West Virginia outfielder Armani Guzman | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on S

Quarterfinal opponent: No. 7 TCU, No. 10 Utah, or No. 11 Kansas State

Not just because they are the highest seed, but TCU is the most dangerous opponent of this group. They pitched extremely well against the Mountaineers this past weekend and could have very easily won the series in Morgantown. Seeing Tommy LaPour or Lance Davis a second time around would not be an easy matchup. WVU didn't play Utah during the regular season, but did sweep K-State.

Semifinal opponent: No. 3 Arizona State or No. 6 Cincinnati

WVU took two of three from the Sun Devils on the road but lost two of three to Cincinnati at their ballpark. The one against the Bearcats was certainly winnable, but they blew a 5-2 lead in the eighth in the series finale. ASU has some dangerous bats, and getting another crack at the Bearcats is probably what West Virginia would prefer.

Championship opponent: No. 1 Kansas, No. 4 UCF, No. 5 Oklahoma State, No 8 Baylor, No. 9 BYU, or No. 12 Texas Tech

Beating Kansas for a fourth time seems unlikely, but I actually like how well the Mountaineers match up against them. As a matter of fact, I think they would be a better draw than UCF, as crazy as that may seem. In the two games West Virginia lost to the Knights, they combined for just one run. If they were to see Oklahoma State, Baylor, BYU, or Texas Tech, they would be heavy favorites.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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