Baylor is riding a 22-game winning streak dating to Nov. 8 when they lost a 13-point lead in the final eight minutes to Washington. That blown lead is the only thing keeping Baylor from joining San Diego State among college basketball’s undefeated teams.
Baylor remains atop the Big 12 with a 12-0 mark, just one game in front of 11-1 Kansas, whom they defeated 67-55 in Lawrence on Jan. 11.
Baylor and Kansas will meet in the rematch Saturday that essentially will decide the Big 12 regular-season championship. However, the Bears must first take a trip to face Oklahoma on Tuesday night.
No. 1 ranked Baylor (23-1 SU; 16-8 ATS) defeated Oklahoma 61-57 on Jan. 20. The Sooners did cover that night as +10 underdogs. Oklahoma comes off an 87-70 loss this past Saturday at Kansas in which it failed to get within the number as +11 underdogs.
While Baylor would currently be one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma (16-9 SU; 11-13-1 ATS) is currently looking at a No. 9 or a No. 10 seed per most bracketologists.
But while the Sooners likely would be in the Big Dance as of Tuesday night, they are far from a lock. An upset here as a medium-sized home underdog would come very close to locking Oklahoma into the field of 68. Oklahoma has won and covered its past four overall in Norman.
The Bears’ 16-8 ATS record is quite impressive considering the long winning streak they are on and the fact oddsmakers and the betting marketplace have them priced as high as they can price them. Baylor also has won six of the past seven in the last four seasons versus Oklahoma (4-2-1 ATS record).
Baylor and Oklahoma rank 138th (71.5 points per game) and 134th (71.6) nationally in scoring but Baylor has won 22 in a row on the strength of its defense, which ranks third nationally in defensive efficiency per KenPom and is allowing only 58.4 points per game (also third nationally out of 353 teams). The only teams that rate above Baylor in defensive efficiency are its last opponent West Virginia (second), which the Bears defeated Saturday, 70-59, and their upcoming opponent Kansas (first).
It’s hard to imagine the Bears looking past a quality foe such as Oklahoma, but they do have Kansas coming into Waco on Saturday for their biggest game of the season. That game presents an opportunity to sweep their nearest pursuer Kansas and attain a stranglehold on a potential Big 12 title, which would be their first in program history.
The Bears have so much on the line this weekend and taking a quick road trip in a sandwich spot between West Virginia and Kansas could prove to be their toughest of the season facing an Oklahoma team that is still looking for its signature win that would solidify it into the NCAA Tournament.
