Saturday action in the Big 12 will begin with the No. 2 Houston Cougars heading up to Waco to meet the No. 11 Baylor Bears. Tipoff is set for noon ET and the game will air on CBS.
Houston (23-3, 10-3 Big 12) was able to take back first place in the Big 12 by downing Iowa State in a 73-65 victory on Monday. The Cougars never trailed in this contest as they were able to hold the Cyclones to just 41.8% shooting and kept them at an arm’s length the entire evening. Jamal Shead led the way with 26 points and six rebounds in the win.
Baylor (19-7, 8-5 Big 12) had a two-game win streak snapped on Tuesday, falling to BYU 78-71 on the road in Provo. The Bears lost despite holding the Cougars to just 43.9% shooting as they fell behind in the back end of the second half and couldn’t catch back up. Jalen Bridges offered 15 points and eight boards in the setback.
Bears sophomore Langston Love returned from an ankle injury against BYU, only to suffer a knee injury where he had to be carried to the locker room. His status for today’s game is up in the air and there’s a chance that he could miss more time.
This matchup will feature a best-on-best unit clash according to KenPom, with Baylor boasting the most efficient offense in the Big 12 while Houston boasts the most efficient defense. The war inside of the arc will most likely determine this matchup as the Bears are shooting 53.2% from two in conference play while the Cougars are holding foes to a league-best 45.4% in the same category. Both teams operate with some of the slowest tempos in the nation, so patience will be a virtue with long, drawn out possessions.
What this game means for Houston
After knocking off Iowa State. Houston is in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 regular season title and would take another step towards that goal with a win. The Cougars will be faced with a tough challenge today and their three losses this season have been road setbacks against opponents ranked in the top 40 in NET. A win here would not only give them their 10th Quad 1 victory over the season, but add to their case for being the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
What this game means for Baylor
Despite Tuesday’s loss at BYU, Baylor is still in the mix for the Big 12 regular season title with a handful of games left. The Bears are sitting two games behind the Cougars in the standings and a win here would give them both the tiebreaker and a huge shot in the arm heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Houston vs Baylor odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Houston -2.5
Total: 135.5
Moneyline: Houston -135, Baylor +114
