Baylor vs. Kansas Odds, Picks, Predictions College Basketball: Who Will Win Big 12 Showdown?

With College GameDay in town, Saturday’s matchup between Baylor and Kansas is as big as it gets. Read on for our Baylor vs. Kansas college basketball picks based on the top NCAAB odds.

Lawrence, KS, will take center stage in the sport Saturday when the Baylor Bears (20-6, 9-4 Big 12) and Kansas Jayhawks (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) square off inside Allen Fieldhouse with the College GameDay crew in town. This matchup could have Big 12 title implications, as both teams are tied with Texas for first place in the conference standings.

The Bears got the better of the Jayhawks in the first meeting in a 75-69 affair in Waco, TX, on Jan. 23. That was the final loss of a three-game skid for KU, which has turned the corner with a 5-1 clip since.

Here is our best Baylor vs. Kansas college basketball pick (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Baylor vs. Kansas pick

Baylor +5.5 (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Full disclosure: I graduated from the University of Kansas in 2017, but I also have a preseason national title future on Baylor this season. I feel like this officially makes me the most-unbiased person to talk about this game, right? 

For me, this number feels high for a matchup between the two best teams in the conference, even if Allen Fieldhouse will be rocking. KU was a 2-point underdog in the first meeting down in Waco, so this number is about a point high simply based on Ken Pomeroy’s home-court advantage of 3.5 for Kansas.

From a matchup perspective, the Bears have the best backcourt in the country and they certainly took advantage of Bill Self’s squad on switches. It led to 16 shots on isolation for Baylor, which marked its most in a game since 2011. The Bears should have a similar strategy in the rematch, particularly because KU’s best two defenders (Dajuan Harris Jr. and Kevin McCullar Jr.) are dealing with foot injuries from the previous game.

Kansas has developed more of a bench since the first meeting, and its role players tend to perform better at home. So though the Jayhawks should prevail in this one, it is a game that could come down to the wire. As a result, we would play this four-star pick down to 4.5.

Baylor vs. Kansas best odds

DraftKings (-110)

A few of our top-rated sportsbooks are sitting at 5.5 at the time of this writing, including DraftKings. Because DraftKings offers player props, we prefer to play the spread there to open the door for any same-game parlay options.

For example, Baylor guard LJ Cryer has a points prop of 15.5 at DraftKings with the Over juiced to -125. He scored 22 points in the first meeting, and a similar performance could lead to a cover for the Bears. Considering Cryer could draw KU’s third-best defender, it might not be a bad same-game parlay to take.

Baylor vs. Kansas odds

Kansas opened as a 4.5-point favorite, but that line is mostly gone with the spread sitting at 5 or 5.5 at most sportsbooks. FanDuel Sportsbook is still hanging a 4.5-point spread, but you would have to take a -120 vig to lay the points with the home team.

As for the total, this line started at 149.5 and has dropped to 148.5. All of our top-rated sportsbooks sit at 148.5, so you don’t really benefit by shopping around for the best number.

Baylor vs. Kansas game info

Date: Saturday, Feb. 18, 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS

Baylor-Kansas pick made 02/18/2023 at 9:40 a.m. ET.

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.