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The Baylor Bears are set to face the Kansas Jayhawks this weekend. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Baylor Kansas prediction, odds, and pick.
Baylor has been knocked off course by injuries this season. The two-game losing streak which occurred a few weeks ago — at home to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State — was a product of losing James Akinjo and Jeremy Sochan. This past week has been similarly choppy for Baylor, which lost last Saturday at Alabama and barely beat West Virginia on Monday after trailing by double figures early in the game. College basketball odds analysts are aware that Baylor didn't have LJ Cryer or Adam Flagler against West Virginia. Those two players are reportedly game-time decisions for this upcoming game. The Baylor Kansas odds are what they are because of the uncertainty surrounding Cryer and Flagler. That is the number one point to remember when making your Baylor Kansas prediction.
If Cryer or Flagler can not only play, but play well, that obviously improves Baylor's college basketball odds forecast. If neither are able to play well, Kansas clearly becomes more of a favorite.
The Jayhawks are a fascinating team right now. Will they respond well to last Saturday's blowout loss to Kentucky? They did win at Iowa State while shorthanded, but Iowa State is in nowhere near the same league as Baylor, the defending national champion of college basketball. Kentucky, like Baylor, is a Final Four contender, and the Cats crushed Kansas in Phog Allen Fieldhouse. Does Kansas bounce back here, or will the Jayhawks continue to be exploited? One can see this question breaking in either direction. You will not have an easy task in making a Baylor Kansas pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Baylor-Kansas odds:
College Basketball odds: Baylor-Kansas Odds
Baylor: +2.5 (-110)
Kansas: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 144.5 (-120)
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Under: 144.5 (-102)
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Why Baylor Could Cover the Spread
The Bears need Cryer or Flagler, at least one of the two players, to play in this game and make a meaningful impact — not necessarily anything spectacular, but certainly solid defense which keeps Kansas under wraps, and maybe a few timely baskets to smooth the path for the rest of the Bears. Baylor, at full strength, is better than Kansas, but BU is not at full strength right now. It's probably too much to expect Cryer and Flagler to both deliver high-impact performances, assuming they can play, but if one of the two steps up, that's probably going to be enough to win.
Why Kansas Could Cover the Spread
The Baylor injury situation is a real concern, and KU — after the humiliation suffered against Baylor — is likely to bounce back in the Phog. It's very hard to imagine a good Kansas team playing two straight bad games in its fabled home building. With Baylor not 100-percent healthy, it's a game which comes at the right time for the Jayhawks.
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Final Baylor-Kansas Prediction & Pick
Baylor is the better team, but the Bears aren't healthy enough to win in the Phog against a motivated Kansas side. Take the Jayhawks. If Flagler or Cryer start the game well for BU, however, adjust all your priors and live-bet Baylor.
Final Baylor-Kansas Pick: Kansas -2.5
