Kansas vs. Baylor Picks & Prediction January 23: Critical Week Begins for Jayhawks (Archive)
Score Prediction: Kansas 78 – Baylor 77
NCAAB Pick: Kansas ML (+120) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
A crucial week on the road for the Kansas Jayhawks begins Monday when they visit the Baylor Bears, and we have a couple of winning NCAA basketball picks for the battle of Big 12 contenders.
And if you’re a local looking to bet on this Baylor game, make sure to go over our guide on the best Texas betting sites before placing your wagers!
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Baylor Bears
Monday, January 23, 2023 – 09:00 PM EST at Ferrell Center
Last week wasn’t much fun for the Kansas Jayhawks. Bill Self’s bunch began it all ranked No. 2 in the country and toting a 10-game win streak, and when it ended, they had dropped two in a row and lost control of the top line in the Big 12 standings.
Not that anyone is going to feel sorry for the defending champions, but things aren’t going to get easier for the Jayhawks this week with a couple of tough road games. It all starts with a matchup against the Baylor Bears and concludes Saturday at Kentucky in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Jayhawks 3-4 O/U in Big 12 Games
If there is a silver lining to the beatdown Kansas suffered at the hands of TCU on Saturday, it’s that the Jayhawks won’t have much time to sit around and let the 83-60 whipping fester in their minds. Kansas was favored by 7 at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review) after opening -7½.
It was an even match for about the first five minutes, but the Horned Frogs took complete control at that point with a 19-0 run. While the Jayhawks struggled early to find the net, TCU sank 13 of its first 15 field goal attempts and ended up shooting 54.4% (31-57) for the game.
Saturday’s setback was preceded by a trip to Manhattan earlier in the week to face rival Kansas State. The Jayhawks also got off to a slow start in that contest before managing to find another gear and make a game of it as small road favorites.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the effort did not pay off as they fell 83-82 in overtime. The losses last week left Kansas backers with just two winning tickets in the first seven conference contests, all with the Jayhawks laying points.
Bears 18th in Country Scoring 79.6 PPG
Baylor would appear to have put its troubles in the rearview mirror. Scott Drew’s squad dropped the first three conference tilts, two of them close defeats at home, but have since turned that around with four consecutive wins.
The Bears spent last week on the Big 12 highway, where they brought wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma back home to Waco. They survived a late rally attempt in Lubbock on Tuesday for an 81-74 win over the Red Raiders, committing just three turnovers as small underdogs.
Saturday’s 62-60 win in Norman was a bit more dramatic, and came with Baylor closing as 2-point chalk on the NCAAB odds. Stymied from beyond the arc much of the game, the Bears’ found their aim late with several clutch 3-pointers to avoid the upset.
Home Teams Have Won Last 4
Monday will mark the seventh consecutive meeting with both teams ranked. The last two years have seen the two sides split their regular season meetings with each winning on their home floors.
Kansas jumped out to a big first-half lead a year ago in Waco, but Baylor battled back in the second half for an 80-70 triumph that covered the 7-point spread. The Jayhawks had blown the Bears out, 83-59, in an earlier meeting at Lawrence. · Three of the last four games at Ferrell Center jumped the totals at the sportsbooks.
- Kansas has covered the spread in 6 of the last 8 meetings
- The Jayhawks hold a decisive 35-8 advantage in the rivalry, all but two of the contests as Big 12 opponents
- The return match in Lawrence is scheduled for February 18th
Baylor Chalked for 5th Time in Last 6 Meetings
Many shops started the Bears off as 3-point favorites, and the spread even climbed to 3½ in early trading. That number has now settled out at -2½ and outlets are showing equal action on Baylor (9-9-1 ATS) and Kansas (7-12 ATS).
Monday’s scoreboard target is running 149-149½. Both the Bears and the Jayhawks bring 11-8 O/U records into the contest.
Kansas and Baylor also bring a couple of hot shooters into the match. Jalen Wilson has been getting it done all season for Kansas, but really heated up last week with 38 against Kansas State and 30 against TCU. Baylor’s Jalen Bridges is only averaging 9.5 PPG for the season, but has reached double-figures in each of the last five games.
You can count on one finger how many times Kansas has dropped three in a row since the start of the 2013-14 season. It’s the Jayhawks straight up and the ‘over’ for me.
NCAAB Pick: Over 149 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.