Pick on the total for Baylor-Texas on January 30

The Texas Longhorns look to wash away the sting of their loss at Tennessee over the weekend as they return home on Monday to face the Baylor Bears to try to gain sole possession of first place in the Big XII Conference standings.

Baylor Bears vs. Texas Longhorns (-3.5, 149.5)

Despite a few extreme performances by the defense, highlighted by allowing 116 points early in January to Kansas State, Texas ranks 36th nationally in points allowed on a per-possession basis with the team generating a turnover on 20.1% of defensive plays, which ranks 19th in the country.

The Longhorns face a Baylor team that overall is 12th among Division I teams in points scored on a per-possession basis but is scoring 10.5 points per 100 possessions fewer away from home than in Waco.

Baylor enters Monday on a six-game winning streak with their defense being the backbone, allowing 69 points or fewer in four of their last five wins, much of it thanks to team rebounding.

Neither team has a single player averaging more than 5.7 rebounds per game, but Baylor has five different players reeling in at least 4.2 rebounds per game to rank 26th in the nation in rebound rate.

In their most recent five games, Baylor is playing at a pace of more than 5.5 possessions per game slower than in their first 16 games of the season and has gone from 70th in possessions per game to 147th.

With the recent tempo shift for Baylor coupled with Texas still being one of the most efficient defenses in the country despite January woes, Monday’s pivotal conference showdown will turn into a defensive duel.

The Play: Baylor vs. Texas Under 149.5

Get Peterson’s spread and total lines for every game on the college basketball board.

Check out the DraftKings college basketball betting splits with public money and betting percentages.