It is a top-15 match-up in the Big 12 as Baylor visits Kansas. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Baylor-Kansas prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Baylor enters the game sitting at 17-5 on the year with a 6-3 record in conference play. They are right now in second place in the conference, just a half-game back of Houston. Baylor opened conference play with three straight wins, before losing to Kansas State, Texas, and TCU in three straight games. Still, they have now won three in a row. First, it was a win on the road over UCF. then, they beat ranked opponents in back-to-back games at home, as they beat Iowa State and Texas Tech.
Meanwhile, Kansas comes in at 18-5 on the year, and 6-4 in conference play, a full game back of Houston in the Big 12. They have already defeated Houston but had a hiccup in the game following. It was the last time out that they faced Kansas State right after the Houston game. Kansas had a two-point lead at the half and would extend it to 11 in the second half. Kansas State would come back, and after a back-and-forth remainder of the game, Kansas State would win in overtime 75-70.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Bayor-Kansas Odds
Baylor: +6.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +205
Kansas: -6.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -225
Over: 150.5 (-110)
Under: 150.5 (-110)
How to Watch Baylor vs. Kansas
Time: 6:00 PM ET/ 3:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Baylor Will Cover The Spread/Win
Baylor comes into the game ranked 16th in the nation in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency this year, but sit 75th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Baylor is 14th in the nation in points per game this year while sitting first in the nation in three-point percentage. Baylor is led on offense by Ja'Kobe Walter this year. He comes in with 14.2 points per game while shooting 34.4 percent from three this year. RayJ Dennis is second on the team in points, with 13.8 points per game this year, and he is the leader in assists, with 6.4 per game. Meanwhile, Langston Love has been a great three-point shooter this year. He comes in with 11.5 points per game this year but is hitting 49.3 percent from three on the year.
Baylor is 160th in rebounding this year, and struggles on defensive rebounding, sitting 152nd in defensive rebound percentage. This is led by Yves Meissi. He comes in with 5.8 rebounds per game on the year. Meanwhile, Jalen Bridges and Ja'Kobe Walter come in both averaging over 4.5 rebounds per game this year.
Baylor is 130th in the nation in opponent points per game this year, while sitting 194th in opponent effective field goal percentage. They average just 6.5 steals per game this year, but Jayden Nunn, Ja'Kobe Walter, and RayJ Dennis come in with over a steal per game this year. Meanwhile, Missi comes in with 1.7 blocks per game.
Why Kansas Will Cover The Spread/Win
Kansas ranks 13th in KenPoms' adjusted efficiency running this year, sitting 24th on offense and 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Kansas sits 53rd in the nation in points per game this year but is first in the nation in assists per game. Further, they are third in the nation in shooting percentage. Kansas is led by Kevin McCullar Jr. He comes in with 19.5 points per game this year while shooting 47.2 percent from the field this year. He has also been the primary three-point man, coming away with 35 of 97 three attempts this year. Meanwhile, Hunter Dickinson comes in with 18.9 points per game this year. He is shooting great, making 58.4 percent of his shots from the field. Also helping the offense is Dajuan Harris Jr. He comes in with just 7.7 points per game, but his 6.7 assists per game leads the team.
Kanas sits 99th in the nation in rebounding this year, but they are 20th in the nation in defensive rebounds on the season. This is led by Hunter Dickinson. He comes in with 11.1 rebounds per game this year while being an overall force in the middle. He is also helped by McCullar, who comes in with 6.4 rebounds per game of his own.
The Kansas defense is 74th in the nation in total points against this year but is 29th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Kansas is great at forcing turnovers. McCullar leads the way with 1.5 steals per game, but four men in the starting five come in with over one steal per game on the year. Further, Hunter Dickinson is great on the side, coming away with 1.3 blocks per game this year.
Final Baylor-Kansas Prediction & Pick
Baylor and Kansas are two of the best teams in the Big 12. Baylor has been scoring well as of late too. They have scored over 70 points in each of their last five games, Further, they have gone to overtime three times in conference play. Kansas has been scoring even better. Even against a quality defense in Houston, they scored 78 points. Both of these offenses are solid, and while Kansas also has a solid defense, they will still give up a fair amount of points. This could be a tight game, making the spread not the best play in this one. Expect plenty of points in this game, and potentially over time, as the over hits.
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Final Baylor-Kansas Prediction & Pick: Over 150.5 (-110)
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