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Kansas vs Baylor Predictions & Odds (Jan. 23)

George Nassios

by George Nassios in College Basketball

Updated Apr 12, 2023 · 1:03 PM PDT

Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self puts his head in his hands
Jan 21, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self reacts to play during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
  • The Kansas Jayhawks go up against the Baylor Bears on Monday, January 23rd
  • Kansas is ranked 2nd overall in the nation, but is coming off a 23-point home loss to TCU
  • Check out the Kansas vs Baylor odds and picks, below

Depending on how you see it, Baylor could be meeting Kansas when they’re ripe for the picking or, they could be going against a squad that is very motivated to put one of the programs most embarrassing losses in recent history behind them.

Coming off an 83-60 beatdown at the hands of TCU, their second-largest home loss under Bill Self, Kansas are 3.5-point underdogs and in danger of losing their 3rd straight game after starting the season with a 15-1 record.

Tipoff between Kansas and Baylor is set for 9:00 pm ET on Monday, January 23rd from the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. We break down the Kansas vs Baylor odds below and offer up our best bet and prediction for this Big 12 battle.

Kansas vs Baylor Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Kansas Jayhawks +3.5 (-118) +122 O 150.5 (-106)
Baylor Bears +3.5 (-104) -146 U 150.5 (-114)

Odds as of January 22nd from  FanDuel. Unlock the FanDuel promo code to  bet on this game.

Kansas is desperate for a win here and with +122 odds on the moneyline, they own an implied win probability of 45.05% to upset the Bears who have moneyline odds of -146 giving them a 59.35% probability to take this contest.

 

 

Kansas Jayhawks Reeling After Massive Defeat

What happened to the Jayhawks on the weekend? This is a squad that’s ranked number 2 overall in the nation and pegged as one of the legit players in the odds to win the NCAA tournament. It’s one thing to lose, but to get destroyed by 23 points at home is another matter altogether.

Kansas trailed by 10 at halftime in that loss to the Horned Frogs and never closed the gap within single digits after that. In fact, things got much worse, as the Jayhawks shot only 32.1% in the second half.

That loss comes after suffering a heartbreaking one point defeat to their rivals from Kansas State just a few days earlier. The Jayhawks had not lost consecutive games in the state since 1989, over 30 years ago.

One positive they can take is that Wooden Award odds contender Jalen Wilson can’t stop scoring. The junior forward is coming off back-to-back 30-plus-point outings in those losses and is the top scorer in the Big 12 conference.

Baylor Bears Run Offensive Machine

You wouldn’t be able to tell from their last outing, but this Baylor Bears offense is as unstoppable as it gets in college basketball. According to KenPom, they have the second best adjusted offensive efficiency in the nation.

It’s one of the reasons they’re the favorites in the college basketball odds against a Kansas team considered one of the best in the country.

The Bears are riding a four game winning streak after suffering three losses in a row. In their last game, they emerged with a slim two point win over Oklahoma despite scoring just 62 points. Jalen Bridges was the hero in that one, hitting a trio of game-turning 3-pointers in the final five minutes to hold off the Sooners.

Baylor have played four times at home since the Christmas break and have averaged 85.3 points per game on offense in those outings. Led by freshman sensation, Keyonte George who puts up over 17 points per game, the Bears roll out a three-headed monster of a backcourt that combines to score over 47 points per outing.

Upperclassmen Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer are the other two members of that trio. They are more trusted from three point range than George, with both hitting 40% or better from beyond the arc.

Kansas vs Baylor Prediction

Offense off the bench was almost non-existent for Kansas in their loss to TCU, contributing just eight points. While Wilson is on fire lately, he accounted for 50% of their points in their last game and that can’t happen again if the Jayhawks hope to snap their mini losing skid against Baylor.

Kansas vs Baylor Recent Results

Date Home-Away Spread Over/Under
02/26/2022 BAY 80 – KU 70 BAY Over
02/05/2022 KU 83 – BAY 59 KU Under
02/27/2021 KU 71 – BAY 58 KU Under
01/18/2021 BAY 77 – KU 69 KU Over
02/22/2020 BAY 61 – KU 64 KU Under

While both sides boast offenses that can usually score the ball with ease, the over/under total sits at a very high 150.5 points. In their previous 10 head-to-head matchups, these squads have never gone above that total.

While we may see a lot of points, our prediction in the Kansas vs Baylor odds is that we won’t see over 150, so take the under in this huge Big 12 clash on Monday night.

Pick: Under 150.5 Points (-114)

 

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