The final Monday of the regular season will feature the Texas Longhorns heading up I-35 to meet the Baylor Bears in Waco. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN. Texas defeated Baylor 75-73 in their previous meeting back on January 20.
Texas (19-10, 8-8 Big 12) enters the final week of the regular season on a two-game win streak, last toppling Oklahoma State 81-65 on Saturday. The Longhorns remained in control throughout the contest, even warding off a comeback attempt by the Cowboys in the second half. Dylan Disu stepped up with 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the win.
Baylor (21-8, 10-6 Big 12) came away with a huge home victory on Saturday, knocking off Kansas 82-74 in a win that vaulted it up to third in the Big 12 standings. The Bears were able to establish some cushion in the second half and that can partly be attributed to them putting up 20 free throw attempts to the Jayhawks’ eight. RayJ Dennis had a strong outing with 19 points and 10 assists. Langston Love once again missed the contest with a knee injury and is considered questionable for tonight’s contest.
The last matchup between these two teams came down to the wire and it was a Tyrese Hunter layup at the buzzer that allowed the Horns to escape with the win. Baylor possesses one of the most efficient offenses in the entire country and has done so by operating at a slow, but effective tempo. However, long possessions shouldn’t be an issue for Texas as its forcing opponents into an average length of possession of 18 seconds. On the other side of the floor, the Longhorns have the worst free throw rate in the entire Big 12 and needs to find a way to get to the line if they want to avoid the same fate as the Jayhawks on Saturday.
What this game means for Texas
Texas is trying to position itself well for the Big 12 Tournament and would be the No. 7 seed if the season at this very moment. The Longhorns have established some positive momentum in the last week and a road victory over Baylor would be another huge boost to its NCAA Tournament resume.
What this game means for Baylor
Baylor enters this game sitting in third in the Big 12 standings and is in line for a double-bye straight into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. The league has been cutthroat this year and the Bears could go tumbling back into the pack with one slip up. They need this win on Senior Night this evening.
Texas vs. Baylor odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Baylor -6.5
Total: 144
Moneyline: Baylor -298, Texas +240