The 17th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks attempt to bounce back from a deflating loss and hand the second-ranked Baylor Bears their first defeat when the Big 12 Conference rivals clash on Saturday in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks (17-8, 11-6), winners of 15 of the past 16 Big 12 regular-season titles, are still in a battle for second place in the conference. Kansas also has a chance to avenge a 77-69 loss at Baylor (18-0, 10-0) on Jan. 18.
Tipoff is 8 p.m. ET at Allen Fieldhouse. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Bears as four-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 142 in the latest Baylor vs. Kansas odds. Before making any Kansas vs. Baylor picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Baylor vs. Kansas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Baylor vs. Kansas:
- Baylor vs. Kansas: Baylor -4
- Baylor vs. Kansas over-under: 142 points
- Baylor vs. Kansas money line: Baylor -190, Kansas +160
- BAY: The Bears are 10-1 against ranked opponents in the last two seasons
- KAN: Jayhawks are 16-5 at home against top-10 foes in 17 seasons under coach Bill Self
Why Baylor can cover
Junior guard Davion Mitchell was understandably rusty at Iowa State, scoring nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, but he averaged 23.7 points and was a blistering 15-of-22 from 3-point range in the previous three games. Mitchell and teammate Mark Vital were among 10 players named as 10 semifinalists for the 2021 Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year. Guard MaCio Teague has scored in double figures in all but two games and averages 14.7 points per game.
The high-powered Bears are the second-highest scoring team in the country at 86.4 points per game and are No. 2 in scoring margin at plus-23.1. They also rank No. 1 nationally in 3-point percentage at 43.2. Senior Jared Butler, who leads the team in scoring (17.1 points per game) and steals (2.4), has connected on 21-of-44 shots from behind the arc in five matchups vs. Kansas, including a season-high seven treys last month.
Why Kansas can cover
Guard Ochai Agbaji, who leads five players averaging in double-figures at 13.8 points per game, scored a team-high 17 against Texas. Forward Jalen Wilson was a non-factor in last month's meeting with Baylor, scoring only four points, but he has elevated his game over the past month. He scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds at Texas for his ninth double-double of the season and sixth in the last seven games.
The Jayhawks had ripped off five straight wins, four by double-digits, before blowing a 14-point lead in Tuesday's 75-72 overtime loss at Texas, which handed Kansas its only loss at home on Jan. 2. The Jayhawks are 10-1 at Allen Fieldhouse this season and had never lost to Baylor at home until 13 months ago. In addition, Kansas owns a 37-year winning streak on Senior Night that dates to 1984.
How to make Baylor vs. Kansas picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting both teams to combine for 148 points.. It has also says one side of the spread hits well over 70 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Baylor vs. Kansas? And which side of the spread hits well over 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
