Best NCAAB Bets: Baylor vs. Texas Prediction, Odds & Picks
Conference tournaments are set to begin on Monday, meaning this is our last full Saturday regular-season slate of the season. The board is as big as ever and, hopefully, we are treated to some quality hoops throughout the day.
With March just around the corner, these games are definitely important. Regular-season conference titles are being decided, and plenty of games have postseason implications between conference tournament seeding and NCAA Tournament projections.
Saturday’s slate will be headlined by a matchup between Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in a game that could decide the regular-season WCC crown. But there are several other marquee matchups, such as Texas-Baylor, Auburn-Kentucky, Arkansas-Alabama, USC-Utah, and much more.
Let’s dive into my favorite plays of the day for the final Saturday before March.
Today’s CBB Best Bets (February 25)
Texas (+3) at Baylor (-110, Caesars)
The Bears are back home after going 0-2 in the state of Kansas, in which they surrendered a pair of second-half leads. Baylor led by as many as 17 in Lawrence before being outscored by a 55-26 margin against Kansas in the second half. Two days later, Baylor squandered another second-half lead against Kansas State in Manhattan.
Scott Drew’s Bears seem due for a bounce-back opportunity, but now they must face a Texas Longhorns squad fighting for a Big 12 regular-season crown. Texas is currently tied with Kansas for first place in the Big 12 standings with three games left to play.
I’m sure there will be support for the Bears in this one, so you might be able to get a better number. I’m just concerned about a Baylor team ranked last in conference-only defensive efficiency. The offense is lethal and ranks as the best in the country, but also seems too reliant on isolation at times. When those three guards are off, it is not a lot of fun to watch.
The Bears started Big 12 play with three losses in a row, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they ended league play the same way.
Risk: 0.55 units at Caesars to win 0.5 units. (Playable at +3 or better)
Caesars Sportsbook Bonus
West Virginia (+9) at Kansas (-105, DraftKings)
Staying in the Big 12, the Jayhawks are probably due for a letdown performance at this point.
Kansas has won five in a row and has been rated as the second-best team in the country over that span using Bart Torvik’s adjusted rankings. However, they are ranked 10th overall for the season, suggesting Bill Self’s squad might be riding a bit too hot at the moment.
West Virginia is a physical team that could cause problems for Kansas' smaller lineup, which has also been dealing with injuries over the last couple of weeks. In the first meeting between these two teams, Kansas rolled to a 76-62 victory down in Morgantown after going 11-for-24 from long range. ShotQuality actually graded that game as a 74-69 victory for West Virginia, which is just 5-10 in league play.
The Mountaineers, who are coming off an 85-67 win over Oklahoma State on Monday, are still hungry. Meanwhile, the market might be too high on the Jayhawks right now. I’ll bet against a double-digit victory for Kansas, especially when Bart Torvik projects this to be a six-point game.
Risk: 1.05 units at DraftKings to win 1 unit. (Playable at +9 or better)
DraftKings Bonus
For the most up-to-date picks check out my Twitter and subscribe to our Discord. This sheet from Dan Rivera tracks all my betting picks (and those from the rest of the betting staff) on the year. Just click on the tab with my name on it for the results.
This article is intended for entertainment purposes and adult users only. Call 1-800-GAMBLER if you have a gambling problem
