Kansas State at Baylor college basketball odds, picks and best bets
The Kansas State Wildcats (9-18, 2-12 Big 12) visit the Baylor Bears (24-2, 13-1) Tuesday at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Kansas State-Baylor odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.
The Bears are ranked second in the Paste BN Sports men's basketball coaches poll, ending a five-week run in the top spot.
Kansas State at Baylor: Three things you need to know
1. Baylor will be hungry and super focused after dropping Saturday's 64-61 thriller at home as the then-No. 1 team in the country to the then-No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks. Baylor, which had its school-record, 23-game win streak snapped, trail Kansas (25-3, 14-1) by a half game in the Big 12 standings - the Jayhawks are now ranked No. 1.
2. Kansas State, last in the Big 12, enters on a seven-game skid, and has won only three games since Jan. 1, going 3-13. The Wildcats lost 70-59 at home to the Texas Longhorns Saturday.
3. Baylor took the first regular-season matchup 73-67 Feb. 3, led by G Jared Butler's 20 points, however, the Bears didn't cover as a 7-point favorite - the game finished Over the projected total of 123.5 points. Wildcats F Xavier Sneed tied a career-high with 23 points in the loss, which snapped KSU's six-game winning streak in the series.
Kansas State at Baylor: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access Paste BN Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Baylor 79, Kansas State 57
Moneyline (ML)
NO WAY. Baylor (-1429) is such a big favorite, one must wager $14.29 just to win $1. No, thank you on those odds. KSU (+775) offers a 7.75-to-1 payoff, but as tennis legend John McEnroe once said, "You can't be serious." Let's get serious and focus on the spread and Over/Under.
Against the Spread (ATS)
BAYLOR -14 ( -106) is the STRONGEST PLAY. This could get ugly. Until Baylor beat KSU earlier this month, the Bears had lost six in a row in the series. The disappointment of those last three years vs. the Wildcats and the need to prove something after Saturday's loss to the Jayhawks will motivate the Bears to play one of their best games of the season. An early blowout wouldn't surprise me.
Over/Under (O/U)
I planned on betting the Under, but the number came in lower than I had hoped - at 120.5 (Under -110, Over -110). The Bears feature the third-best defense in the country, allowing just 58.4 points per game. The defense should make things extremely difficult for the Wildcats, who had 17 turnovers in the Texas loss and rank eighth in the Big 12 with 385 overall. The fear is Baylor could score too many points, so the O/U suggestion is to AVOID.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet atBetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Johnny's record since Dec. 1: 45-29-2. Strongest plays: 25-11.
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