For the 13th consecutive year, the Kansas Jayhawks are attempting to win at least a piece of the Big 12 Championship. Kansas has absolutely dominated the conference under Bill Self, who picked up right where Roy Williams left off when the latter left for Chapel Hill. Following an amazing comeback against West Virginia, Kansas finds itself two games ahead of the rest of the conference and can taste another conference title. However, the Baylor Bears are looking to write their own history and will likely be favored when these teams square off in Waco.
At 1 p.m. ET, tune into CBS for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, February 18, 2017, at the Ferrell Center. We will have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Jayhawks may be 22-3 and ranked in the Top 5 in the nation, but have been awful against the number this year. Kansas is 7-16-1 ATS and just 2-5-1 ATS away from home on the season. In Big 12 play, the Jayhawks are even worse, with a 1-8-1 ATS record in their last 10 games. The under is 6-2 in Kansas road games this campaign.
Baylor has had its share of home woes recently with a 1-3 ATS record over its last four home games, including an outright loss to Kansas State. Under has been a very good bet in Bears games, with a record of 13-7-1, including a 7-3 record in Waco.
Matchup to Watch
Kansas has one of the most efficient offenses in the country and that was on full display in its comeback win over West Virginia. The Jayhawks struggled all game long, but turned it on late when it mattered most, overcoming a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes of action to beat the Mountaineers. The senior guards get most of the attention, but freshman Josh Jackson has really stepped it up in recent weeks. He has notched a double-double in 4 of his last 5 and Kansas needed all of his 31 points to get past Texas Tech in its previous game.
The Bears have one of the best defenses in the country, but Texas Tech was able to light them up on Monday night. The Red Raiders dropped 52 points in the second half on their way to an upset win over the Bears, but if you delve into the box score, there was a probably a little home cooking. Texas Tech went to the line 43 times and with that many freebies, any team is going to allow a lot of points.
Player to Watch
Johnathan Motley has the size to make Kansas pay down low and needs to get the ball more after what he did to the Jayhawks in their last meeting. Motley went 7 of 11 from the floor and also added 10 rebounds for a double-double, while his teammates combined to hit just 37.5 percent of their shots from the field. He also grabbed 5 offensive boards and helped Baylor get an edge on the offensive glass that it hasn’t had previously.
Motley can put the clamps down on Landen Lucas on the defensive end as well and his size makes him a formidable presence in the paint. Expect him to have a bigger role this time around.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
When these teams met in Lawrence a few weeks ago, Kansas went to the line 21 more times than Baylor did. That advantage turned the tide for the Jayhawks more than anything else as these teams were otherwise pretty even statistically.
With the change in venue should come a change in whistle blowing and that will tip the scales to Baylor. The Bears will likely be short favorites in this one and look for them to get the cover.
College Basketball Odds: Baylor 71, Kansas 64
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
