Best Conference In College Hoops 🔒

With six top-20 teams all vying for the Big 12 conference title, every win counts. We've got three huge matchups on tap tonight featuring four top teams, let's break it down 🏀 (3 min read)

Author

Kyle Trapp
January 24, 2023

Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images

The Big 12 Is Elite

It wasn't long ago that the Big 12 was seriously overlooked when discussing the country's premier college basketball conferences. But after producing the last two national champions, the bar has been raised in a major way, and its teams are once again rising to the occasion this season 🔥

Five top-12 teams in one conference? Sheesh. Kansas used to be a near-lock to capture the Big 12 crown, and while the Jayhawks are in the thick of it once again this year, they'll certainly have their work cut out for them 😤

  • Winners of 16 of the last 18 regular season titles, Kansas was humbled last week with back-to-back losses to TCU and Kansas State, sending them tumbling in the latest AP Poll from #2 to #9. But hey, that's just life in the Big 12 🤷🏻‍♂️

Oddsmakers liked the chances of the Jayhawks being atop the standings when the regular season ends, but after now dropping three straight, all six of the conference's ranked teams have a legitimate shot. Baylor's backcourt really showed out last night 👇

Kansas offically has an uphill battle if they want to bring home a Big 12 title, something rarely said. The other four contenders above are all hitting the floor tonight, it's yet another loaded Tuesday slate of college hoops, and we've got you covered ⬇️

Trivia Question: Since 1988, Kansas State has had just one first-round NBA draft pick. Who was it?

Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images

Tonight's Action

We could see some major shuffling atop the Big 12 standings tonight with three high-profile matchups going down. Here's what you need to know 👇

  • Spread: TCU -6.5

  • Moneyline: TCU -285 (bet $285, win $100), Oklahoma +230

  • O/U: 138.5

  • When: 8PM on ESPN+

TCU kicked off the new year with an absolute gauntlet, having played five of their six games this month against ranked opponents 😳

  • The Horned Frogs went 3-3 over that stretch, but with wins at Baylor, over Kansas State, and at Kansas, they've shown their massive upside, especially in Saturday's historic victory

A home date with Oklahoma tonight is TCU's softest matchup in weeks, but overlook the Sooners at your own risk. Despite a tough 2-5 stretch, according to Joe Lunardi they're still a tournament team 👀

  • Spread: Iowa State -5.5

  • Moneyline: Iowa State -225, Kansas State +184

  • O/U: 134.5

  • When: 9PM on ESPNU

At the start of the season, few could've predicted this matchup would hold so much significance. After all, both Kansas State and Iowa State were picked to finish in the bottom third of the conference 

  • The Wildcats were pegged as the Big 12's worst team, but so far the opposite has been true, with just one conference loss to go along with their 17-2 record. Factor in that their leading scorer is the inspiring Keyontae Johnson, and you've got one of the best stories of the year 🙌

The Cyclones have exceeded expectations all year as well, and they'd be getting more attention themselves if it weren't for a pair of two-point losses over their last three games. It's not often you see a top-5 team as 5.5-point underdog — tonight's matchup should be a good one 😎

  • Spread: Texas -8.5

  • Moneyline: Texas -430, Oklahoma State +330

  • O/U: 135.5

  • When: 9PM

If the Texas basketball team has been distracted by the controversy surrounding their now-former head coach Chris Beard this season, they certainly haven't shown it on the floor. With a 17-3 record despite one of the toughest schedules in the nation, the Longhorns are legit

  • A big reason for their success is the surprisingly efficient play of guard Marcus Carr, who has taken his game to another level in his senior season ⬇️

Oklahoma State looked like a tournament-caliber team at the start of the year, but a disappointing season so far has them out of the conversation for now. A huge win over Iowa State on Saturday was a step in the right direction; can they pull off another upset tonight? 🤔

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

For My Parlay Gurus

After the beatdown TCU put on Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse over the weekend, I gotta go with the Horned Frogs to cruise past the Sooners tonight. I think the matchup between Kansas State and Iowa State will be much closer, and although the Cyclones have yet to lose on their home floor this season, I like the Wildcats to at least make them sweat it out. Check out this parlay 👇

  • TCU -6.5 vs. Oklahoma: -110

  • Kansas State +5.5 vs. Iowa State: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $264 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: After a standout freshman season at Kansas State where he was named Big 12 Player of the Year, Michael Beasley was taken second overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat

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