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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are set to face the Baylor Bears this weekend. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Oklahoma State Baylor prediction, odds, and pick.
Oklahoma State, as college basketball odds experts are aware, is not eligible for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the result of a typically controversial decision by the NCAA and its byzantine, irregular process of handing out punishments to various schools. Oklahoma State rode the wave last year with Cade Cunningham, having gotten the green light to participate in March, but the Cowboys weren't as fortunate this season. Motivation is a challenge, as one could reasonably expect. The Cowboys got blasted by West Virginia and Texas Tech in recent days. They should get up for Baylor, given that the Bears are the defending national champions in college basketball, but Oklahoma State's season has been predictably rugged and uneven. It's hard to ask players to spill the tank every night when they know they won't be rewarded with a spot in March Madness. Keep that in mind when considering an Oklahoma State Baylor pick.
As for Baylor, the Bears are coming off their first loss of the season to Texas Tech at home. The Bears were not able to solve a Texas Tech defense which is one of the very best in the country under head coach Mark Adams. Baylor had two superstars last season on the path to the national title. Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler were reliable crunch-time bucket getters on that roster. Baylor has plenty of capable players this season, but no one who rises to the Mitchell-Butler standard. That one flaw — one of the few weaknesses on this Baylor team — was exposed by Texas Tech. The Bears have to find a way to bounce back from that defeat and reset their season after becoming the last unbeaten team to fall. Think about this context when making an Oklahoma State Baylor prediction.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Oklahoma State-Baylor odds:
College Basketball odds: Oklahoma State-Baylor Odds
Oklahoma State: +14 (-102)
Baylor: -14 (-120)
Over: 141 (-120)
Under: 141 (-102)
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Why Oklahoma State Could Cover the Spread
The Cowboys aren't going to have maximum juice every game, but against Baylor, one figures that they are going to bring their best fastball. Oklahoma State is capable of doing special things; you're just not going to see this team max out on a regular basis. The ceiling is high, but the floor is low.
Oklahoma State showed what it could do earlier this month when it pulled away from Chris Beard's Texas Longhorns. The Cowboys defended brilliantly and didn't allow Texas to crash the glass for many second-chance points after all the Longhorns' missed shots. It was an attentive and thorough demonstration of high-level defense, which is exactly how Oklahoma State is going to win games in the post-Cade Cunningham era under coach Mike Boynton. Given Baylor's poor offensive showing against Texas Tech, OSU has to feel it can make an impact on defense in this game.
Why Baylor Could Cover the Spread
The Baylor line of thought on this game is much, much simpler: Baylor is the defending national champion. It won 21 games in a row. It lost. The Bears are still really good, and they're going to be angry heading into this game, and it's at home against an inferior opponent. Don't overthink it.
Final Oklahoma State-Baylor Prediction & Pick
Baylor is going to be motivated to play a great game. Oklahoma State is going to be motivated to compete hard. Baylor's motivation coming off a loss is likely to be much too strong for the Pokes.
Final Oklahoma State-Baylor Pick: Baylor -14
