Big 12 Conference
How good is the Big 12? Well, eight of the conference’s 10 teams already have at least 10 wins. After the teams dominated in non-conference play, they will spend the rest of the season going head to head in arguably the nation’s best conference.
There is no lack of compelling games when a conference is as good as the Big 12, but defending national champion Baylor will get to meet up with Oklahoma State for the first time since its loss in the Big 12 tournament. That happens to be the last time Baylor lost.
Kansas (+200) and Baylor (+200) are tied for fourth in the odds to reach the Final Four among the Big 12 teams. Texas (+600) isn’t far behind and neither is Texas Tech (+1100).
It is going to be a fun week for those who bet online, with eight of the 11 games featuring at least one team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Baylor Bears
- Date, time, TV: Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Texas Tech has been able to remain competitive while waiting for its two top offensive players to return to action. Terrance Shannon Jr. and Kevin McCullar are questionable once again. Both are considered to be game-time decisions. This figures to be the toughest test yet since No. 1 Baylor has won 21 consecutive games while the Red Raiders are 0-2 in true road games this season.
The 19th-ranked Red Raiders (11-3, 1-1 in the Big 12) did pick up their second win against a ranked opponent by beating Kansas 57-52.
The Red Raiders have relied on a defense that leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense to win games while shorthanded.
Jeremy Sochran (ankle) left last game for the Bears (15-0, 3-0). He is one of seven Baylor players averaging more than 20 minutes per game.
Baylor has won six of the last seven against Texas Tech and is 5-2 against the college basketball spread during that span.
The last three meetings were over the total between the Red Raiders and Bears.
The total has gone under in six of Texas Tech’s last seven games, but has gone over in Baylor’s last six games.
Iowa State Cyclones at Kansas Jayhawks
- Date, time, TV: Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET, Big 12 Now/ESPN+
The contrasting styles in this game will be intriguing. Kansas leads the Big 12 in both points scored (83.1) and points allowed (67.2) while Iowa State is fourth in the Big 12, allowing only 58.4 points per contest. However, the 15th-ranked Cyclones (13-2, 1-2) did give 47 points in the second half in Saturday’s loss at Oklahoma.
Even with the struggles against the Sooners, Iowa State’s odds to win the Big 12 Conference is at +900, which is fourth behind Baylor, Kansas and Texas.
Ninth-ranked Kansas (12-2, 1-1) has won the last four games against Iowa State and covered in each of them. Kansas has topped 90 points in the last two home games against the Cyclones.
The total has gone over in the last 10 Iowa State games at Kansas.
Iowa State has won one of its last 20 road games while Kansas is 8-1-1 against the spread in the last 10 Big 12 games
Oklahoma Sooners at Texas Longhorns
- Date, time, TV: Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET, Longhorn Network
The impact of home-court advantage hasn’t been much of an edge when Oklahoma and Texas meet up since the visiting team has won the last four meetings.
Three of the last four games between the Sooners and Longhorns went under the total. Oklahoma (12-3, 2-1) has covered in four of the last five games at Texas.
No. 21 Texas (12-3, 2-1) is one of five Big 12 teams still undefeated at home.
The total has gone under in 10 of the last Texas-Oklahoma games.
Oklahoma has covered against the Las Vegas odds in six of its last nine games.
Oklahoma defeated Iowa State in the Sooners’ last game despite Rick Issanza, Alston Mason and Akol Mawein missing the game due to health and safety protocols.
Oklahoma State Cowboys at West Virginia Mountaineers
- Date, time, TV: Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Oklahoma State has won the last two games and covered in both of them after West Virginia won the last three.
The winner in the last 15 games in the series also covered against the college basketball odds.
Oklahoma State (8-5, 1-1) is averaging 11.3 steals and 7.3 blocked shots in its eight wins while forcing 19.6 turnovers and holding the opposition to 38.2 percent shooting.
The Cowboys have played four teams in the top 50 in the Kenpom rankings over the last six contests, but that is only the beginning as six top-50 games are on Oklahoma State’s schedule over the next seven games.
After allowing opponents to shoot better than 50 percent in three of the first five games of the season, the Mountaineers (12-2, 1-1) have held the opposition under 50 percent in the last nine games. In four of the last six games, the opposing team failed to hit 40 percent from the field.
TCU Horned Frogs at Kansas State Wildcats
- Date, time, TV: Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU
The last four games and 10 of the last 12 between TCU and Kansas State went under the total
The visiting team has won six of the last eight games, including the last four.
TCU (10-2, 0-1) has 29 three-pointers over the last three games, including back-to-back games with 11 treys each. Chuck O’Bannon has nine three-pointers over that stretch, matching his total from the first nine games of the season.
Mark Smith, Ismael Massoud and Luke Kasubke are the only players for Kansas State (8-6, 0-3) to appear in all 14 games while Smith and Massoud are the only Wildcats to start in each game.
Oklahoma State Cowboys at Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Date, time, TV: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET, Big 12 Now/ESPN+
The last five games in the series have gone over the total.
Oklahoma State has covered in 12 of the last 16 games against Texas Tech, including five of the last six games hosted by the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech has 33 steals and has forced 58 turnovers in its last three games. Davion Warren has at least five steals in five of the Red Raiders’ last seven games.
The Cowboys are 2-0 in overtime games this season after going 4-0 in overtime contests a season ago.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Kansas State Wildcats
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN2
The last four games in the series have gone over the total.
Texas Tech has won seven of the last eight games against Kansas State but is only 3-5 against the spread in those contests
Bryson Williams is averaging 16 points over the last two contests for Texas Tech.
Nijek Pack has 16 three-pointers in his last four games for Kansas State.
West Virginia Mountaineers at Kansas Jayhawks
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET, CBS
West Virginia snapped a five-game losing streak to Kansas with a 91-79 win on February 6, 2021.
Kansas has won the last 12 home games against West Virginia and has covered in nine of those matchups.
Ochai Agbali (+700) has the fifth-best odds (first among Big 12 players) to be named the national player of the year. He is averaging 20.2 points while shooting 53 percent from the field and 45 percent on three-pointers.
Taz Sherman has scored in double figures in all 13 games that he has played for West Virginia and has at least two three-pointers in each of his last eight games.
Texas Longhorns at Iowa State Cyclones
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, Big 12 Now/ESPN+
The last five games in the series have gone over the total
Texas has won four of the last five games against Iowa State. The Longhorns have covered in seven of the last eight games against Oklahoma.
While some Big 12 teams have needed to adjust the starting lineups due to illness or injuries, Izaiah Brockington, Tyrese Hunter, Gabe Kalscheur and Tristan Enaruna have started all 15 games and George Conditt all but one game for Iowa State.
Brockington is 21 for 21 from the foul line over the last four games.
Oklahoma Sooners at Texas Christian Horned Frogs
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Oklahoma has won the last eight games in the series, although four of those contests were decided by four points or less
Three of the last four games between the Horned Frogs and Sooners have gone over the total
The total has gone over in four of Oklahoma’s last five games against Big 12 opponents and is six of the Sooners’ last eight games overall
Mike Miles has scored at least 20 points in three of his last four games. He is averaging 21.5 points and 4.5 assists with 11 three-pointers and seven steals over that stretch.
Oklahoma’s Tanner Groves has scored in double figures in his last six games and is shooting 58.8 percent from the field in those four contests.
Oklahoma State Cowboys at Baylor Bears
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
The last five meetings between Oklahoma State and Baylor have finished over the total
Baylor had won 11 of the last 12 games against Oklahoma State before the Cowboys won 83-74 at Baylor on March 12, 2021. That was the last time Baylor lost.
Baylor (+145) has moved ahead of Kansas (+160) in the odds to win the Big 12 Conference title.
Six different Oklahoma State players have at least 12 offensive rebounds, led by Moussa Cisse’s 26.
