Year of the Longhorn?

If you feel like you've heard enough already about Big 12 basketball this year, I don't blame ya. But when there's a conference as deep and dominant as this one... ⬇️

... it makes perfect sense why it's demanding so much attention. On any given night, there's a good chance the best college hoops action is going down in Big 12 country, and tonight is no different, with two Top-25 showdowns on the docket 👇

• 7PM EST: #9 Baylor @ #14 Kansas State on ESPN2

• 9PM: #23 Iowa State @ #8 Texas

Let's focus first on the later tip, because that matchup features one of the conference's most serious title threats — the Texas Longhorns 🤘

• Texas entered the season ranked as a top-12 team, so it's tough to say their success this year has been unexpected. But that was before head coach Chris Beard was suspended, and then fired, shortly after the season began due to off-court issues

• Given the distraction and uncertainty surrounding the coaching situation, it would have been reasonable to expect the Longhorns to underperform this season. But instead, it's the opposite

• At 21-6 with 8 Quad-1 victories already, interim head coach Rodney Terry doesn't just have Texas surviving. He has them thriving, in the midst of one of their most successful seasons this century ⬇️

It's no wonder why Terry finds himself on the Coach of the Year late-season watch list, despite the interim tag still next to his title. If he's able to deliver Texas their first Big 12 regular season title since 2008, how can you not give him the reigns to the program permanently? 🤷🏻‍♂️

• Currently battling Kansas atop the conference standings, the Longhorns have the second-best odds to win the Big 12 outright (+250), but oddsmakers are backing the Jayhawks as the favorite at -250 (as of yesterday)

• And if you're a believer, the +2500 National Champion odds is worth a look

The two teams end their seasons against each other on March 4th in a matchup you absolutely have to circle on your calendar, but with Texas facing three straight ranked opponents before then, they'll certainly have their work cut out for them to keep pace. That includes a tough test tonight against Iowa State; take a look at the lines 👇

#23 Iowa State vs #8 Texas Betting Preview

• Spread: Texas -7.5

• Moneyline: Texas -315 (bet $315, win $100), Iowa State +250 (bet $100, win $250)

• O/U: 136.5

It's been an uneven couple of months for the Cyclones, who have been playing .500 ball since the start of 2023. But this team has already proven they can hang with anyone 😤

• Head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who joins Terry on the Coach of the Year watchlist, has led Iowa State to as many Quad-1 wins as Texas, and they've already beaten each of the other five ranked Big 12 teams at least once this season

• That includes the Longhorns; back on January 17, the Cyclones pulled away in the second half of a 78-67 victory, thanks in large part to 21 points from Jaren Holmes

Tonight's rematch in Austin may lean Texas' way according to the odds, but considering how battle-tested both teams are (top-5 in strength of schedule), I wouldn't be surprised if we get a closer fight than the spread indicates 🤔

Don't Count Out Baylor

Based on the odds, it may seem like a two-horse race for the Big 12 regular season crown. But the Baylor Bears (+1000) still have a fighting chance as well 😤

• The preseason pick to win the conference, Scott Drew's bunch has largely lived up to the hype with a 20-7 record and 8 Quad-1 wins, while playing the third-hardest schedule in the country. But despite that resume, they're currently in third place

If Bears are looking for a share of the conference title for the third straight season, they have four games left to make up that deficit, and very little margin for error. That makes tonight's matchup against a very good Kansas State team all the more exciting 👇

 #9 Baylor vs. #14 Kansas State Betting Preview

• Spread: Baylor -2.5

• Moneyline: Baylor -134, Kansas State +112

• O/U: 145.5

As you might be able to tell from the spread (or lack-thereof), these two squads are equally dangerous, and we've got on-court evidence to prove it 😳

• It took overtime to decide the first meeting back on January 7th, and the Wildcats, led by 56 combined points from Markquis Powell and Keyontae Johnson, left Waco with a narrow 97-95 victory after tying in both the first and second halves 🤯

Kansas State now gets to go for the season sweep on its home floor, but Baylor comes into the matchup having lost just two games since that OT defeat. That 11-2 stretch has them continuing to surge as a national title pick ⬇️

Kansas State remains one of the biggest surprises of the college basketball season, and Jerome Tang, the third and final Big 12 coach on the late-season watch list, is my pick for Coach of the Year. But I'm backing the Bears this time around 🐻

For My Parlay Gurus

It's not often I'd parlay two visiting teams in college basketball, especially when we're talking about a couple of Top-25 conference matchups. Yet, here we are; I'm going with Iowa State to cover and Baylor to win on the road tonight. Check it out 👇

• Iowa State +7.5 vs. Texas: -115

• Baylor ML vs. Kansas State: -134

$100 on this bet would win you $226 — 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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