Big 12 March Madness Update: Don’t Sleep on BYU

Houston has -135 odds to win the tourney, followed by Iowa State at +350, per BetUS. Two sleepers to watch are Baylor (+650) and Kansas (+1200).

In the meantime… we have an OFFICIAL bracket for the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. pic.twitter.com/xzXcBrhe6Y

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 10, 2024

Which Big 12 teams should be among your March Madness picks?

Houston, Iowa State Headline Big 12 Tournament Favorites

The Kansas Jayhawks are a bit more of a puzzle as Bill Self’s team may prefer to get healthy ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas’ two leading scorers, Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson, have both been ruled out of the Big 12 tourney due to injuries. Self expects both players to be ready for the NCAAs.

Keep in mind the following top four seeds all get double byes: No. 1 Houston, No. 2 Iowa State, No. 3 Baylor and No. 4 Texas Tech. These four teams will not play until Thursday.

#Big12MBB representing well in this week’s @AP_Top25 pic.twitter.com/kiR8nw3mPN

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 12, 2024

Houston projects to be a sizable favorite in the NCAAB odds for their opening game against either No. 8 TCU or No. 9 Oklahoma. Iowa State could face a dangerous No. 7 Texas team if the Longhorns get past No. 10 Kansas State.

Finally, barring an upset, No. 3 Baylor would take on No. 6 Kansas at 8:30 p.m. ET on March 14. The Jayhawks will need to get past either No. 11 Cincinnati or No. 14 West Virginia.

BYU Headlines Big 12 Sleepers to Watch in Kansas City

It would not be a major surprise if any of the top four Big 12 teams make a run to win the conference tournament. Who are some sleepers to watch in K.C.?

Look no further than No. 5 seed BYU, which has proved to be giant killers in their inaugural season in the Big 12. The Cougars’ marquee wins include TCU, Kansas, Baylor, Texas, Iowa State and San Diego State.

BYU offers a good value at +1400 in the college basketball odds to win the Big 12 tournament. The challenge is the Cougars could also fall to either UCF or Oklahoma State in their opening game on Wednesday.

Just as BYU has pulled off upsets, the Cougars have been susceptible to playing down to lesser opponents this season. It is only fitting that BYU is projected to be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

It is a seed that is frequently upset by pesky No. 12 seeds in March. ESPN’s projections have BYU taking on a dangerous USF team, the regular-season champs of the American Athletic Conference.

BYU has been one of the more elite Big 12 teams at covering the spread. The Cougars are 19-12 ATS this season. BYU has gone under the point total in 16 games, with the over hitting 15 times.

This week, all eyes are on Kansas City for one of the deepest conference tournaments in the country. Yet, we are one week away from the start of March Madness.

What Big 12 Teams Are Title Contenders?

Which Big 12 teams are a threat in the odds to win March Madness? Houston is second in the latest odds at +600, just behind UConn at +500.

The Cougars are not just a Big 12 favorite, but one of the best teams in the country thanks to their elite defense. There are additional Big 12 teams to watch as potential title contenders.

Iowa State has +2500 odds and will have to prove they can make a run away from Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones were undefeated. Baylor and Kansas have the same NCAA Tournament title odds at +3500.

The Jayhawks have given us plenty of reasons to have our doubts, but could Kansas offer value at this price? With the roster at less than 100%, it is hard for me to get behind the Jayhawks, even at this discounted price.

Questions Of The Day