Kansas vs. Baylor Odds, Picks, and Predictions (2/26/22)

Kansas vs. Baylor Odds, Picks, and Predictions (2/26/22)

The two most feared teams in the Big 12 conference are facing off this Saturday, February 26th, to prove who is the most elite. The Kansas Jayhawks are headed to Waco, Texas, to take on the Baylor Bears this weekend. The two teams are respectfully #1, and #2 in the Big 12 and are both in the top 10 nationally. The Jayhawks are in fourth place nationally and are looking like a front-runner for a #1 seed in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. The Baylor Bears are trailing close behind in the conference and sit in the tenth spot nationally, trying to move up ahead of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This matchup will be the most electric of all games we see this weekend as it will show the strength of the best teams in the most competitive conference. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM CST and can be viewed on ESPN or ESPN+.

Kansas vs. Baylor Betting Odds

These two teams have gained the respect of the nation with their superb basketball play. The Kansas Jayhawks have a stacked team with record-breaking players and a nearly unstoppable offense. The Baylor Bears are the reigning NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Champions and are on the hunt for another title. This matchup has already taken place this year, ending in a shocking 83-59 runaway win for the Jayhawks. However, this time, the Jayhawks will have to prove themselves on the Bears’ court, which could lead to a closer game. Walking into the matchup, the Bears are the surprising favorite. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Bears a 69.1% confidence interval of victory, which is very unusual after the magnitude of the previous Jayhawks win. This opinion differs from the spread being in favor of the Jayhawks by -3.5 points. Kansas has not shown significant weakness when on the road and have been on a successful four-game win streak. With Ochai Agbaji breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring record at Kansas, I think the momentum and electricity is flowing more than ever for this Kansas team, and they won’t be stopped by the Bears. Baylor will have to play their best game of the year in order to take the win. However, Baylor’s strength has continued to grow throughout the past few games, so this match is anticipated to be significantly closer than the previous blowout.

My Prediction: Kansas Wins 86-83, Baylor Covers

Kansas Jayhawks Odds

The Kansas Jayhawks have been recognized as one of the most successful basketball programs of all time. This year, they continue to defend and prove that title. They are the leaders of the Big 12 and are fifth in the nation with their level of play this season. The team has gone 23-4 overall and 12-2 in conference play. In the Big 12, they’ve only taken losses to the Texas Longhorns and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, two teams that are also nationally ranked. As they face the Baylor Bears, they want to continue their excellent record and prove that they are worthy of their top seed before they face the Longhorns in a rematch next week.

History has been broken in the Kansas program as Ochai Agbaji passed the legend Wilt Chamberlain’s career scoring record against Kansas State earlier in the week. He is now the 26th highest scorer for the Jayhawks with 1,444 points in 110 games, passing Chamberlain’s 1,433 points in 48 games. Although Chamberlain made his statistics in significantly fewer games, the stat proves that Agbaji is one of the most successful players in men’s basketball. He averages 20.2 points per game, which is significantly higher than leading scorers on many of the other Big 12 teams. In his best game against Texas Tech, he scored 37 points against one of the most feared defenses in the country. Against Baylor, Agbaji scored 20 points like it was easy. He is the ultimate threat on this team, scoring over 20 points in his last three games. The Baylor Bears will need to put extensive coverage on him in order to stay alive in this crucial game. Agbaji is definitely the player to keep your eye on in this game because he is not slowing down anytime soon.

Baylor Bears Odds

The reigning champions of Men’s Division I Basketball are facing one of their toughest competitors in a crucial time. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are on their tail to overtake the #2 seed in the Big 12 as the end of the regular season is quickly nearing. This team was embarrassed by the Jayhawks earlier this month, and they desperately need to prove their eliteness in this matchup. They average 77.1 points per game with an average winning margin of 14 points as a team. This has helped lead them to their 23-4 overall record and 11-4 record. However, the Jayhawks are averaging 80 points per game, especially after their recent 102 point score against Kansas State. The Bears collectively shoot 53.5% from the field but dropped to 29.6% when going up against the Jayhawks. This week, the team has been preparing for this matchup and have been focusing on not repeating history. As a team, they need to look for better accuracy under the basket. They were outshot and outrebounded, and they can not afford those mistakes again. 

Adam Flager was the player that gave his team a fighting chance in the last meeting with KU. He scored 16 points and had four steals in that game. He’s the leading point scorer for the Bears and averages 13.7 points per game. He will need the assistance of LJ Cryer in this game to make a difference. Cryer was not active in the last meeting with KU due to injury, and his presence can make all of the difference. Cryer averages 13.5 points per game and shoots 47.6% from the field. He has been absent for this team on and off with a foto injury but has taken plenty of rest in preparation for this matchup. He is still questionable for return, but coaches and staff have taken every precaution to ensure his recovery to make a difference in this game. Without him, the Bears may once again take a detrimental loss at a crucial time for the team’s future.

Kansas vs. Baylor Picks and Predictions

Both of these teams have a history of putting up explosive points. The Jayhawks average 80 points per game, and the Bears follow close behind with 77. Added together, they can amount to 157 points which is an unreal collection of points for college basketball. As long as LJ Cryer can return to this game, the Bears have a fighting chance of staying in this game and putting up the points necessary to be a threat to the Big 12 leaders. The over bet on this game would be the bet of choice since both teams are hungry for excellence. This will be the game to watch this weekend, and the competition will surely be hot.