I predict there is 0 chance the Republicans pick this up.
Shelley Moore Capito is interested in running:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84244.html
The current governor of WV is a Democrat - Earl Ray Tomblin. He might be tapped to run.
Manchin, former governor, now senator, appointed a placeholder for Senator after Robert Byrd passed away in June, 2010. Manchin ran and won Byrd’s seat in a special election held a couple months after Byrd died. The two month time frame didn’t give a Republican the chance to declare and get a campaign up and running.
This time around, things should be different. Moore Capito is a huge champion of coal and the attacks on the 2nd Amendment should rally the troops to the Republican.
Manchin championed the 2nd Amendment, but right after Sandy Hook, he advocated for stricter gun laws and has caught a lot of flack for it. Hopefully West Virginians have seen the light and know not to trust a Democrat again.