Big 12 foes will collide when the Texas Longhorns (15-10, 5-7 Big 12) clash against the Baylor Bears (15-10, 5-7 Big 12) at Frank Erwin Special Events Center. The games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 133 points with Texas opening as a 3-point favorite. Action starts at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, February 12, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN.
Baylor Bears at Texas Longhorns Betting Preview
The Bears defeated the No. 10 Kansas Jayhawks in their last contest, 80-64. With 17 points and six rebounds, Baylor’s Nuni Omot put together a good outing. The Bears had a better free throw rate (0.189 vs. 0.127) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.642 (above their season average of 0.534).
In the Longhorns last game, they were topped by the TCU Horned Frogs, 87-71. Mohamed Bamba led Texas in scoring with 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting. TCU won the rebounding battle. The Horned Frogs had more offensive rebounds (11 vs. five), defensive rebounds (22 vs. 17) and total rebounds (33 vs. 22).
Points at the line could be few and far between for Texas in this meeting. The Longhorns currently rank 222nd in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.228, while Baylor ranks 48th in FTA rate allowed (0.195).
Of Baylor’s 18 games with betting action, 11 have finished under the projected point total, while 11 of Texas 21 games have finished under the projected point total. Both teams have very similar records straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS). The Bears are 15-10 SU and 11-7 ATS, while the Longhorns are 15-10 SU and 11-10 ATS.
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined to score 129 points, just under the projected point total of 133. The Bears won 69-60, covering as 3-point favorites. Baylor did an excellent job of converting from the charity stripe (16-21; 76.2 percent). Texas, meanwhile, had a much better turnover percentage (13.2 vs. 19.9). Despite the loss, Bamba had a standout performance in the game, putting up 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.
Baylor Bears vs. Texas Longhorns Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – Baylor, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Longhorns rank 122nd in three pointers attempted per game (22.7) while the Bears rank 239th (19.2).
- On the road, Baylor is 6-4 ATS with 7 unders, 2 overs and 1 push.
- At home, Texas is 6-4 ATS with 6 unders, 3 overs and 1 push.
- Baylor ranks 61st in assists per game (15.5) while Texas ranks 225th (12.0).
- The Bears rank 36th in rebounds allowed per game (31.8) while the Longhorns rank 195th (36.1).
- Texas ranks 16th in blocks per game (5.4) while Baylor ranks 159th in blocks allowed per game (4.0).
Betting Trends:
- Texas is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs, 1 under and 1 push in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Baylor is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Longhorns have been outscored by an average of 0.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Texas has defeated opponents by an average of 4.7 points.
- During their last five games, the Bears have scored an average of 76.8 points per game (0.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 73.2 points per game (4.0 above their season average).
