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The Kansas Jayhawks are set to face the Baylor Bears. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Kansas Baylor prediction, odds, and pick.
The Kansas Jayhawks blew out the Baylor Bears a few weeks ago at home, something college basketball odds experts have fully kept in mind heading into this game. The reason Kansas is ahead of Baylor in the Big 12 race and in the battle for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is that the Jayhawks have been a healthier group this season. Baylor has lost forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua for the rest of the season, and the Bears have missed Jeremy Sochan, Adam Flagler, L.J. Cryer, and other players for varying lengths of time this season. Scott Drew's team was the last team in Division I men's college basketball to lose a game this season, but then the injuries hit. He hasn't been able to field a fully intact team over the past two months. Baylor hasn't played poorly so much as it has been decimated by a constant stream of injuries. Kansas has not been damaged the same way, and the Jayhawks have generally taken advantage.
Kansas has not dominated the competition in the rugged and contentious Big 12, but it has outpaced it with some late rallies and crunch-time displays of considerable quality. Kansas was down five to Texas Tech in overtime but rallied to win. KU pulled out a last-minute win at Oklahoma and narrowly defeated Iowa State at home as well. The Jayhawks have been very good in late-game situations, something which should be kept in mind when formulating a Kansas Baylor prediction. Ochai Agbaji has been a superb late-game scorer for Kansas, helping big man David McCormack lead a balanced roster which also includes Arizona State transfer Remy Martin.
Baylor might be shorthanded without Tchama Tchatchoua and with L.J. Cryer constantly banged up, but the Bears know how to fight. They trailed Oklahoma State by seven on the road at halftime earlier this week but fought back to win in overtime. Baylor doesn't have a whole-cloth offense right now, but Scott Drew's teams regularly play great defense and tend to the boards. That will keep them close and make a Kansas Baylor pick more difficult to arrive at.
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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Kansas-Baylor odds:
College Basketball Odds: Kansas-Baylor Odds
Kansas: +2.5 (-110)
Baylor: -2.5 (-110)
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Over: 149.5 (-110)
Under: 149.5 (-110)
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Why Kansas Could Cover the Spread
The Jayhawks took advantage of a shorthanded Baylor team once. They can certainly do it twice. They're not playing a full-strength opponent, and that obvious carries significance.
Why Baylor Could Cover the Spread
The Bears can still play quality defense and rebound and bother the heck out of Kansas. They're at home, they want to avenge the blowout loss to KU earlier in the season, and they're still a really good team, in line for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Final Kansas-Baylor Prediction & Pick
Kansas is the healthier team, but the Jayhawks have lived well this season, constantly squeaking out close wins in games when they didn't play especially well. It seems that the laws of averages are bound to catch up with KU, and that Baylor will try to make a statement at home, even without some of its core players.
Final Kansas-Baylor Pick: Baylor -2.5
