The No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks (10-3, 4-2 Big 12) battle the No. 2 Baylor Bears (12-0, 5-0 Big 12) in a Top 10 showdown. This game marks the first of two matchups between the two Big 12 powerhouses on ESPN Big Monday.
Tipoff is at 9 pm ET inside the Ferrell Center in Waco, TX. Baylor is a nine-point favorite in the conference tilt, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas has sputtered lately, dropping two of their last four contests. But the Jayhawks are 4-2 against ranked opponents this season.
The Jayhawks game this past Saturday against Iowa State was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Cyclones program. Kansas owns a 33-6 all-time mark against the Bears.
The Jayhawks average 76.4 points per game and shoot 44.3-percent from the floor. Kansas has four starters that average in double figures, led by guard Ochai Agbaji who averaged 14.7 points per game. Agbaji leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 42.7-percent from the arc.
Forward Jalen Wilson (13.8 ppg), forward David McCormack (12.1 ppg), and guard Christian Braun (10.2 ppg) round out the rest of the scorers averaging double figures for the Jayhawks. Over the last three games, McCormack is sporting a 20.3 point scoring average.
Kansas is 5-7 against the spread this season, including a 2-1 mark on the road. The Jayhawks are 2-4 against the spread in their last six games played in January.
What to Know – Baylor Bears
Baylor is the only remaining unbeaten Power 5 team remaining in college hoops. A win against the Jayhawks gives the Bears their 4th-longest winning streak in the program’s history. Baylor went on the road Saturday and beat #15 Texas Tech, 68-60, to keep their clean record.
The Bears average 87.3 points per game and lead the nation with a +26.2 scoring margin. BU has won by double digits in all but Saturday’s game against the Red Raiders.
Leading the way for Baylor is guard Jared Butler, who averages 15.6 points per game. Butler is one of four All-Big 12 players that returned to the Bears lineup from last season.
Right behind Butler is fellow guard MaCio Teague who scores 15.3 points a game. Teague is the team’s leading scorer in conference games, averaging 15.8 points per game behind 46.2-percent shooting from the three-point line.
The Bears are 10-2 against the spread this season and 4-1 on their home floor. In six of Baylor’s last seven games, the total has gone under.
The Pick is In
Baylor has appeared to be unstoppable this season, blowing out their opponents regularly. The Bears have also been dominant at home, winning by an astonishing 35.8 points per game.
Kansas has owned the series and historically plays well in games following a loss under head coach Bill Self. Eight of the last ten games between these two teams were decided by single-digits, and we expect another close battle.
The Pick: Kansas Jayhawks +9
