The marquee matchup of Saturday’s slate of college basketball games pits the #5 Kansas Jayhawks (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) against the #9 Baylor Bears (20-6, 9-4 Big 12) in a conference showdown for the top spot in the standings. Baylor is looking for a sweep of the Jayhawks after winning earlier this season in Waco, 75-69.
The conference clash tips off at 4 p.m. EST inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. The Jayhawks are a five-point favorite in the rematch, and the over/under total is 148.5 points.
What to Know – #9 Baylor Bears
Baylor rides some key momentum in this weekend’s test as the Bears have won four in a row. The Bears are in a three-way tie with the Jayhawks and Texas Longhorns in the conference standings. According to the KenPom rankings, the Bears sit 10th, and in the NCAA NET rankings Baylor is 12th.
Offensively, Baylor is second in the league averaging 78.8 points per game behind 45.1% shooting from the field and 36.4% shooting from three. Baylor’s defense ranks ninth in the Big 12, surrendering 69.0 ppg while limiting opponents to 44.8% shooting from the floor and 32.5% shooting from the 3-point line.
This season the Bears are 14-11-1 against the spread and 3-3-1 ATS on the road. Baylor comes into Saturday’s matchup with a 4-1 record ATS over the last five contests.
What to Know – #5 Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks have won five of their last six games as the season comes to a close and tournament play nears. Kansas can take sole possession of the regular season conference title with a win and Texas loss on Saturday. The Jayhawks are seventh in KenPom’s rankings and sixth in the NCAA NET rankings.
Kansas sits right behind Baylor in the league scoring 76.6 ppg and shooting 46.9% from the floor and 35.6% from deep. The Jayhawks are fifth in scoring defense, limiting teams to 68.2 ppg, 41.3% shooting from the field and 31.9% from beyond the arc.
Kansas sports a 12-14 record ATS with a 5-8 mark ATS at home. The Jayhawks own a 5-1 record ATS over their previous six games.
The Pick is In
Two top-10 teams take the floor Saturday inside Allen Fieldhouse for what should be a thrilling matchup in the Big 12 Conference. It has been a tough stretch for top-ranked road teams in recent weeks, and Baylor will have their hands full with a well-coached Jayhawks team looking for revenge.
Kansas has dropped just one game at home this season and have beaten Baylor 17 out of the last 18 games at home. The Bears struggle on the defensive side of the ball, and that’s going to create problems in this one. A close battle throughout the game is closed out down the stretch by the Jayhawks thanks to the home-field advantage and clutch shooting from the outside.
The Pick: #5 Kansas Jayhawks -5
