— Wednesday, February 09th Baylor Bears @ Kansas State Wildcats
Since being ranked No. 1, the Baylor Bears have lost four of the last eight games, falling down in the rankings to No. 10. Off a loss at Kansas, the Bears (19-4, 7-3) travel back to the state to face the Kansas State Wildcats (12-10, 4-6). Tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas, is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and the Big 12 Network.
These teams met just two weeks ago in Texas, and the Bears got a 74-49 blowout win. Baylor has won the last six games against the Wildcats since losing in Manhattan in 2019. Those six wins have come by an average of 22.5 points.
Balanced Bears Getting Back on Track
The Bears are 12-10-1 ATS this season, and the over is 12-10-1 in their 23 games. They are 8-2 away from home and 5-2 in true road games. They lost their last two road games at Alabama and at Kansas.
Baylor ranks 38th in the nation at 77.8 ppg and 35th in shooting at 47.5%. They also shoot 36% from 3-point range and rank in the top 30th nationally in rebounds. The defense ranks 28th, allowing 62.3 ppg, and they rank 30th against the 3-pointer allowing just 30.1%.
LJ Cryer leads Baylor with 13.9 ppg while James Akinjo averages 12.9. Adam Flagler (12.8) and Kendall Brown (10.1) are also in double figures points wise while Matthew Mayer is at 9.7, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchua leads the team with 7.1 rpg, while Jeremy Sochan is at 6.0.
Cryer scored 14 points in the first win over the Wildcats, while Flagler and Tchamwa Tchatchua had 13 each. The Bears suffocated the Wildcats, allowing just 5-of-23 from deep and 31% shooting over. Baylor also blocked six shots and outrebounded KSU by 11.
Pack Leads Wildcats
The Wildcats are 11-9-2 ATS this season, and the under is 12-10 in their 22 games. They are 8-4 at home and rank third in the Big 12, shooting 34% from deep. The Wildcats are 2-5 against ranked teams and also have a home loss to Marquette, unranked at the time but now in the top 20.
Kansas State ranks in the bottom 75 in scoring at just 67 ppg and also in shooting percentage at 42.2. The defense ranks 39th in the country, allowing 63.3 ppg, and they are even better against the 3-pointer, allowing just 27% on the season.
Kansas State knocked off TCU over the weekend as Nijel Pack scored 20 points. He leads the team in scoring on the season at 17 ppg, with 3.1 3-pointers per game, and is shooting 43% from deep.
Mark Smith averages 11.6 ppg and leads the team in rebounding at 8.4 per game. Markquis Nowell is averaging 12.0 ppg and leads the team with 5.2 apg.
Pack had 13 points in the game at Baylor but was just 4-of-12 from the floor. Nowell had 11 points in the game, and no Wildcats player had more than six rebounds. KSU will need better defense at home on Wednesday as they allowed 57% shooting to the Bears last month.
Betting Analysis
- Baylor Bears -6 (-110)
- Kansas State Wildcats +6 (-110)
- Total: 135.5. Over -110. Under -110
Baylor has dominated this matchup the last three seasons, including a big win just two weeks ago. They have the size and the shooters to do it again on Wednesday night, and a matchup with the Wildcats is just what they need to get back on track competing for a Big 12 title. Kansas State has been playing better, but they don’t have the firepower to stay with the Bears over 40 minutes.
Betting Pick: Baylor -6 (-110)
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