The No. 1 ranked Baylor Bears are either going to win the Big 12 regular season title on Saturday, or they’re going to allow the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks tie them atop the standings. Having already broken KU’s Big 12 record of most consecutive regular season wins, it only makes perfect sense for Scott Drew’s kids to add to their already fantastic resume by busting out the brooms on the team that’s dominated the conference since it came into existence. Easier said than done however! Saturday will mark the 23rd time a team will have a shot at sweeping Kansas in the regular season with Bill Self manning the controls. Only one of those teams managed to pull off the deed. Now the hunted and not the hunter, how will Baylor deal with the pressure of living up to the pressure? If history is any sort of indicator, not so good; Baylor’s 0-3 SU and ATS laying points to the Jayhawks in Waco.
This Big-12 showdown takes place on Saturday, February 22, 2020. Tip-off will be at 12 p.m. ET from the Ferrell Center in Waco, TX. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN. So make sure to fill out your March Madness Bracket today!
Odds Analysis
This game will mark the second time the Jayhawks will go off the board in the underdog role in the span of 10 days. The last time occurred in Morgantown back on February 12 when KU fought back from a 6-point halftime deficit to outscore West Virginia 34-19 in the second half to log the impressive 58-49 outright win and cover as 1.5-point underdogs. Role players Marcus Garrett and Isaiah Moss had big showings in that one to help lead the team to the huge road win. It was then followed up with all-out skunkings of both Oklahoma and Iowa State back home; both double-digit spreads were easily covered. The Jayhawks will invade Waco with a head of steam having won all 11 games played (8-3 ATS) since allowing Baylor to beat them in the Phog for the first time ever.
Only the San Diego State Aztecs have been as good for college basketball bettors as the Baylor Bears have been this season in covering 17 of 25 lined games at online sportsbooks. Seriously, you would’ve already made a mint and not needed to bet anymore college basketball this season if you just rolled all your winnings on Baylor into every game to this point. At 24-1 overall and 13-0 in conference, the Bears currently find themselves in a fabulous position to garner a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Win this game, and it’s a done deal even with four games left on the docket before the Big 12 Tournament even tips off. Do however keep an eye on the injury reports with MaCio Teague - the team’s second leading scorer (14.4 PPG) - still recovering from a wrist injury.
Recent Meetings
Baylor was without a doubt the more dominant of these two teams when they collided on the Phog hardwood back on January 11 in front of a packed Allen Fieldhouse crowd. Though Kansas got out to a commanding start, it was all Bears from that point forward. It seemingly took control of the game right before the break when it converted on each of its last seven shots to take a 37-24 with it into the locker room. Though Kansas put up a fight immediately after, Baylor would seize back control of the game by doing a much better job on the glass over the game’s final 20 minutes and knocking 8 of 19 shots down from beyond the arc. Jared Butler led the way with 22 points, while Teague added 16 to go along with 7 rebounds. Per usual, Baylor did a fantastic job of protecting possession of the basketball with only five turnovers. On the flipside, Kansas turned it over a whopping 14 times which dramatically aided the Bears ability to pull off the upset. Udoka Azubuike was pretty much a non-factor with only six points though he did manage 11 rebounds. Devon Dotson also left the game with a hip pointer suffered at the tail end of the first half, and wasn’t the same once he returned. Regardless, it was a dominating effort from the Bears and they deserved to win the game.
Prediction
Though MaCio Teague didn’t play against Oklahoma earlier this week, he was a game time decision. That wasn’t the case when he was a flat out scratch versus West Virginia the game prior. You have to think he’ll suit up for this one with the regular season title on the line. Everyone’s been waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to the 2019-20 Bears. Sharp bettors faded them in a big way against the Sooners and came out losers last time out. I’m pretty certain they’ll be riding the fade train early Saturday afternoon as well. Not me. Baylor is the story of the Big 12 this season. It’s theirs for the taking and I expect them to do just that on Saturday versus my Jayhawks regardless of whether Teague is a go or not. Whether they cover or not is an entirely different story. I got em by a possession and will take the $-Line regardless. But if they’re laying a couple possessions or more, hit Kansas plus the points!
College Basketball Pick: Baylor 71, Kansas 69
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