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Two of the hottest teams in the Big 12 Conference meet when the 10th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks face the eighth-ranked Baylor Bears on Saturday. The Jayhawks (18-3, 7-1) lead the Big 12 standings after defeating No. 20 Iowa State 70-61 on Monday. The Bears (19-3, 7-2) are second in the league and are coming off an 81-77 win over West Virginia on Sunday. Kansas is 6-1 in their past seven games, while Baylor is 4-1 in their past five. Ochai Agbaji is expected to play for Kansas after clearing COVID-19 protocols, while Adam Flagler (knee) and LJ Cryer (foot) are both questionable for Baylor. 

The game from Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., is scheduled to tip off at 4 p.m. ET. Baylor is averaging 78.8 points per game, while Kansas averages 80.0. The Jayhawks are three-point favorites in the latest Baylor vs. Kansas odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 144.5. Before making any Kansas vs. Baylor picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 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 Kansas vs. Baylor, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Baylor vs. Kansas:

  • Baylor vs. Kansas spread: Kansas -3
  • Baylor vs. Kansas over-under: 144.5 points
  • Baylor vs. Kansas money line: Kansas -160, Baylor +140
  • BAY: The Bears are 16-6-1 against the spread in their last 23 games following a straight-up win
  • KU: The over is 7-1 in the Jayhawks' last eight Saturday games

Why Kansas can cover 

Junior guard Christian Braun has scored in double figures in five consecutive games and in 19 this season. Braun averages 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. His best performance was a 31-point, eight-rebound effort at St. John's, N.Y., on Dec. 3, which helped earn him his second career Big 12 Player of the Week Award. Braun, who is on the Lute Olson Player of the Year Mid-Season watch list, has started 56 of 82 career games.

Senior forward David McCormack averages nine points, 6.8 rebounds and one block per game. He is connecting on 52.9 percent of his shots from the floor and 66.7 percent of his free throws. McCormack was the first recipient of the Big 12 Most Improved Player Award in 2021 after he led the league in field goal percentage at 51.5 percent. He has 909 career points and 545 career rebounds.

Why Baylor can cover

The Bears have four players averaging in double figures, including senior guard James Akinjo. Akinjo averages 13.6 points, 5.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He is one of the team's top free-throw shooters, connecting on 78.9 percent of his foul shots. The transfer from Arizona, started all 26 games for the Wildcats last season and earned first-team All-Pac 12 honors. He has posted five or more assists in 14 of 20 games and has registered at least one steal in 19 of 20 games at Baylor.

Freshman guard Kendall Brown has scored in double figures in three of his last four games and 14 on the season. He scored a season-high 19 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 17 and has recorded two double-doubles on the year. He leads the team with 30 dunks this season, including four in a game four times. Brown ranks 14th nationally and second among freshmen in effective field goal percentage at 66.7 percent. He has recorded 21 assists over the last eight games (2.6 per game), more than doubling the previous 12 games combined (10 assists and 0.8 per game).

How to make Baylor vs. Kansas picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 149 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine. 

So who wins Baylor vs. Kansas? And which side of the spread hits in 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its top-rated college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.