A top-10 matchup pits the #9 Baylor Bears (20-8, 9-6 Big 12) hosting the #8 Texas Longhorns (22-6, 11-4 Big 12) in a Big 12 Conference showdown on one of the last Saturday’s of the college hoops regular season. Texas upended Baylor earlier this season in a 76-71 victory in Austin.
Saturday’s conference contest tips off at 2 p.m. EST at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. Baylor is a 3.5-point favorite, while the over/under total is 148.5 points.
What to Know – #8 Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns are neck and neck with the Kansas Jayhawks atop the conference standings, and it is looking like a two-horse race between the two for the regular season title. Texas has three games remaining on the schedule, all against ranked opponents. The KenPom and NCAA NET rankings rank the Longhorns ninth in both polls.
Offensively, the Longhorns are the highest-scoring team in the Big 12, averaging 79.4 points per game, 47.6% shooting from the field, and 34.6% from beyond the arc. Defensively, Texas limits opponents to 68.4 ppg, 42.6% shooting from the floor, and 32.7% from deep.
Texas is 12-16 against the spread this season and 3-5 ATS on the road. The Longhorns are only 1-5 ATS over their previous six contests against the Baylor Bears.
What to Know – #9 Baylor Bears
Baylor has faced a tough schedule down the stretch and comes into Saturday’s tilt on a two-game losing streak with back-to-back road losses to Kansas and West Virginia. The Bears are tied with Kansas State for third place in the conference race. According to KenPom, Baylor is the 14th-best team in the country, while the NCAA NET features the Bears 12th.
Baylor is second behind the Longhorns in the conference in scoring, pouring in 78.0 ppg behind 44.9% shooting from the floor and 36.6% from the 3-point line. The Bears surrender 69.9 ppg, 45.2% shooting from the field, and 31.8% from three.
The Bears sport a 14-13-1 ATS with a 9-6 ATS home record. In recent matchups, Baylor is 4-2 ATS over its last six games.
The Pick is In
The Big 12 has been the strongest conference in college basketball this season, and these two teams have weathered the schedule and find themselves in prime positions to grab one of the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bears have won their last six games at home, and although Baylor’s scoring defense is one of the worst in the conference, expect Baylor coach Scott Drew to have his players ready to go for this one.
A win for Baylor and the Bears would add another quality Quad 1 victory to its resume and remain with an outside shot to take home the conference title. Texas has lost three of its last four on the road, and Baylor deals the Longhorns another on Saturday.
The Pick: #9 Baylor Bears -3.5
