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The Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Baylor Bears. Check out our Big 12 championship odds series for our Cincinnati Baylor prediction and pick. Find how to watch Cincinnati Baylor.
In the Big 12 Tournament bracket, something remarkable happened on Wednesday: The Kansas Jayhawks did not reach the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. That had never happened before. The Cincinnati Bearcats made it happen with a strong win over KU. To be clear, Cincinnati was not playing a Kansas team which was anywhere close to full strength. Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar were out with injuries, resting for the NCAA Tournament. Nevertheless, Cincinnati was the No. 11 seed in this tournament and was still doubted by many going into that game. The Bearcats had to prove they could take advantage of the opportunity, and they did. The Bearcats rode a wave of momentum against KU. They entered the game relieved and relaxed after their comeback the previous day. They were down 16 points in the second half of Tuesday's opening round in the Big 12 Tournament against West Virginia, but they responded and won. Let's see how far this magic carpet ride can go.
Here are the Cincinnati-Baylor Big 12 Championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Big 12 Championship Odds: Cincinnati-Baylor Odds
Cincinnati Bearcats: +6.5 (-102)
Baylor Bears: -6.5 (-120)
Over: 140.5 (-115)
Under: 140.5 (-105)
How To Watch Cincinnati vs Baylor
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Time: 9:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm PT
TV: ESPN2, ESPN Plus
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Cincinnati Could Cover the Spread
The Bearcats know they are riding with Lady Luck this week. First, they came back from a 16-point second-half deficit against West Virginia in the first round. Then they got a depleted Kansas team — without its two best players — in the second round. Now UC goes into the quarterfinals hoping it can continue to ride the wave. The Bearcats are the most confident they have been in some time. If you look at their regular-season progression of results, the Bearcats struggled to win consecutive games. They simply could not follow up one really good performance with another. It was always one step back and then one step forward, followed by a step back. The team was stuck in the Big 12 and could not generate any real momentum. Guess what? UC has won consecutive games on consecutive days. The good vibes are emerging at just the right time. This team can carry momentum into another game on another day and win outright, not merely cover the spread.
Why Baylor Could Cover the Spread
The Cincinnati Bearcats probably wouldn't be here in this game if Kansas had at least one of its two best players on the court for Wednesday's Big 12 Tournament game against UC. Now comes a Baylor team which is not undermanned the way Kansas was. Baylor is also rested, having earned a double-bye at the Big 12 Tournament. Cincinnati will be playing a third game in three days. The legs will get heavy in the second half and will give Baylor a great chance to pull away in the final 10 minutes.
Final Cincinnati-Baylor Prediction & Pick
The fatigue factor should be significant in the second half. You might want to stay away from a pregame bet, wait to see if Cincinnati gets off to a good start, and then bet a Baylor second-half money line or just take Baylor at a smaller in-game live point spread.
Final Cincinnati-Baylor Prediction & Pick: Baylor -6.5
