Baylor minus 5 1/2 hosting Kansas
This Kansas-Baylor game is another example of a team that is higher ranked being an underdog. Kansas is seventh-ranked in the country. Baylor is rated 15th.
But Baylor is a solid favorite in this matchup – and the oddsmaker has it right.
The Bears are 14-2 at home with their only defeats both occurring in overtime to TCU and top-ranked Houston. Baylor just got its revenge on TCU defeating the Horned Frogs, 62-54, on the road this past Monday. Now the Bears get revenge on Kansas. The Jayhawks nipped the Bears, 64-61, as 5 1/2-point home favorites on Feb. 10.
Kansas is coming off a 76-68 home loss to BYU this past Tuesday. That demoralizing defeat as an eight-point favorite put an end to the Jayhawks’ 19-game home court winning streak, which was the third-longest active home streak in the country. BYU took advantage of Kansas’ mediocre 3-point defense by sinking 7-of-15 shots from beyond the arc in the second half. Baylor ranks fifth in the nation in 3-point shooting accuracy.
The Jayhawks aren’t expected to have their leading scorer, Kevin McCullar Jr. He missed the BYU game because of a knee injury. McCullar averages 19 points a game and is second on the team in rebounds and assists per game.
(Editor’s note: Stephen Nover is having winning seasons in college basketball, NBA and NHL this season. He’s on a 70-54-3 CBB run and is 43-27 on his last 70 premium NBA plays. If you are interested in Stephen’s sports service, please email him at scriber26@gmail.com, or message him via X.)