Betting the Big 12: Basketball Round 3

The best conference in America takes center stage yet again this weekend. It’s been said plenty of times but let’s go ahead and do it again: the Big 12 is a weekly steel cage match with no days off.

What’s happened in the last week? Well, Texas fired their coach. K-State scored 116 points in regulation in Austin. TCU won in the final seconds to send Baylor to 0-2 in the league. Oklahoma lost their 2nd straight 1 possession game. Kansas stole a game in Lubbock in more than one way. And that was the midweek slate. How lucky are we as fans that we get to do it all again?

No days off goes for gamblers as well. Tread lightly, but let’s have some fun. Odds courtesy of our friends at the DRF sportsbook.

THE GAMES

#6 Texas (12-2, 1-1) at Oklahoma State (9-5, 1-1)

Tipoff: 11:00am | TV: ESPNU | The Line: Texas -3 | O/U: 140

Oklahoma State might be my best bet of the whole day. Texas is in shambles and had... let’s just call it a weird week. Take the home team.

Pick: Oklahoma State +3

#25 Iowa State (11-2, 2-0) at #17 TCU (13-1, 2-0)

Tipoff: 1:00pm | TV: ESPNU | The Line: TCU -5.5 | O/U: 132.5

The game of the day is in Fort Worth. Both schools come in off massive road wins, which feels like winning 2 games in this conference. I’m a little concerned for Iowa State here. Going 9 minutes without scoring against this TCU team is a recipe for disaster. Tamin Lipsey gets his toughest test against the TCU backcourt as well. This feels like one of those games we keep close for awhile before the Frogs pull away late. Call it a happiness hedge, but I’d lean TCU because I don’t know how much to trust our offense on the road.

Pick: TCU -5.5

#3 Kansas (13-1, 2-0) at West Virginia (10-4, 0-2)

Tipoff: 5:00pm | TV: ESPN+ | The Line: Kansas -2 | O/U: 143.5

Kansas is playing better than anyone in the country right now, so why is line only 2 points? I want to take West Virginia so badly, but Bill Self owns Huggy Bear in Morgantown. Instead, let’s look at the total. Both offenses rank in the top 30 on Kenpom and both teams play a similar tempo that ranks in the top half of the country. Sounds like points.

Pick: Over 143.5

Kansas State (13-1, 2-0) at #19 Baylor (10-4, 0-2)

Tipoff: 5:00pm | TV: ESPN+ | The Line: Baylor -6.5 | O/U 146.5

Is this a trap? K-State just dropped 116 in regulation against Texas on Tuesday. Baylor just played a high scoring thriller of their own. Baylor has to win this game but I feel better about points on the scoreboard than laying 6.5 points.

Pick: Over 146.5

Oklahoma (9-5, 0-2) at Texas Tech (10-4, 0-2)

Tipoff: 6:00pm | TV: ESPN+ | The Line: Texas Tech -5.5 | O/U: 133

Can someone check on Mark Adams? The defensive tactician is allowing 71 points per game in conference play so far. Crazy as it sounds, these might be bottom 3 teams in the league but this is too many points to give Tech for a team that has struggled defensively.

Pick: Oklahoma +5.5