Opening Odds Favor Baylor By 1.5 as They Host Kansas in Top 5 Matchup

• Quite possibly the matchup of the year so far takes place Saturday, between No. 1 Baylor and No. 3 Kansas
• Baylor hasn’t lost since November, riding a 23-game win streak
• Kansas lost 67-55 at home when these teams met up in January

A Big 12 battle of the titans is set for Saturday, with No. 1 Baylor (24-1, 13-0 Big 12) hosting No. 3 Kansas (23-3, 12-1) at noon on ESPN.

March is just around the corner, and it sure feels that way with this marquee matchup that is sure to play a role in both teams’ National Championship odds.

Scott Drew’s Bears have opened as a 1.5 point favorite as they look to sweep the Jayhawks in Waco.

Kansas vs. Baylor odds

Odds taken Feb. 21

There’s reason to believe these odds will shift, as Baylor has a key player listed as questionable for the big game. A note on that, and more, can be found below.

Last Time Out

When Baylor and Kansas met at Kansas’s Allen Fieldhouse in January, they were ranked No. 4 and No. 3, respectively. So that was a great matchup in its own right.

⛹️‍♂️💨 Fast Break vs. Kansas

This win was extra special! 💯 #SicEm 🐻 | #1TGF 🏀 pic.twitter.com/5YBawZzYxA

— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) January 13, 2020

The game had less drama attached, as the Bears took a 13-point lead into halftime and never led by less than five points the remainder of the game, en route to a 67-55 road win. The difference maybe have been in 3-point shooting, where the Jayhawks shot just 26.7 percent (4-for-15).

Highly Questionable

One of Baylor’s main contributors in the first matchup with Kansas — and all season, really — is forward MaCio Teague. But he’s questionable for Saturday after missing the past two games with a wrist injury.

Macio Teague & Davion Mitchell combine for 30 as the @BaylorMBB push past Oklahoma at home 🐻 @_Mr_DoWork @hoopculture13 #SicEm pic.twitter.com/WYN0nTQw4N

— Timeout (@Timeoxt) January 22, 2020

Teague is second on the team in scoring (14.4 points per game), third in assists (two per game) and third in rebounds (five per game). Whether or not he plays Saturday is sure to impact the odds set for the game.

There are no definitive reports about Teague’s status for Saturday, but he tweeted this on Tuesday in reference to his current situation:

I told you it come a time we’d have to persevere

— MaCio Teague (@_MrDoWork) February 18, 2020

Strength vs Strength

KenPom ranks Baylor and Kansas as its No. 1 and No. 2 teams, respectively, in the nation.

In terms of offensive efficiency, Baylor is No. 22 while Kansas is No. 11. On defense, Baylor is No. 3 while Kansas is No. 2. Baylor has allowed one opponent to surpass 70 points this year — meanwhile, it has held 15 opponents under 60.

Here for the hustle plays 😤

Steal ➞ Offensive Rebound ➞ 👌 pic.twitter.com/zG68YoW6ID

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 18, 2020

Both teams play stout defense and operate with below average game tempo, so it’s reasonable to think a sub-130 point total for this game is a possibility.

In terms of teams faced, Baylor and Kansas both have nine wins against KenPom top 50 teams (all three of the Jayhawks’ losses were against top 50 opponents, too).

ATS Analysis

Unsurprisingly, both teams have solid against-the-spread records. Baylor is 17-8 ATS, sporting three consecutive wins.

Kansas, meanwhile, is 16-9 ATS with four consecutive wins. The Jayhawks have only been an underdog once this season, which happened Feb. 12 on the road against West Virginia. Kansas, only a one-point underdog, handled its business with an outright 58-49 victory over the Mountaineers.

Another business trip in the books 💪 pic.twitter.com/9z4aYy6aAD

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 13, 2020

Of course, when Baylor and Kansas first played this season, the Bears covered their eight-point spread with a 12-point victory over the Jayhawks.