Kansas State Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears Betting Preview
Where: Sprint Center— Kansas City, Missouri
When: Thursday, March 9, 2017, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Kansas State Wildcats (+5) vs. Baylor Bears (-5); total: 130.0 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPNU
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Betting on the Kansas State Wildcats (19-12, 8-10 Big 12)
Point Spread: +5
Kansas State is an endearing bet here. The team already defeated Baylor earlier this season—a 56-54 road victory on Feb. 4. That was the Wildcats’ best win of the season, one that could also save them from disappointment on Selection Sunday.
Moreover, the Wildcats ended the regular season on the right note: two-straight wins at the expenses of TCU and Texas Tech. They were especially impressive in the latter, as Kansas State never surrendered the lead en route to the easy 61-48 win.
Senior forward Wesley Iwundu finished with his second-straight double-double (10 points, 10 boards) in that game, and fronts a capable Wildcats offense with 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest. Kamau Stokes, meanwhile, leads the team in assists (4.3 per game) but has been shooting bricks in his last four contests (7-of-39 from the field).
The Wildcats are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games as the underdog.
Betting on the Baylor Bears (25-6, 12-6 Big 12)
Point Spread: -5
Baylor went just 3-3 (2-4 ATS) to finish the regular season, and will need a strong showing this week to secure a top seed for the Big Dance. That won’t happen if the offense continues to move in the wrong direction.
The Bears are averaging 73.0 points per game (183rd in the country) on the season—a mark that’s now dropped to 68.0 points in their previous five games. Junior forward Johnathan Motley is the immovable engine that’s kept the team intact, especially during woeful shooting nights. He collects 17.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks this season.
Motley, however, might have to double or triple those numbers with the Bears’ second-leading scorer Manu Lecomte (12.4) sidelined due to injury. The defense will obviously have to lend a helping hand to avoid an early upset. Baylor boasts the 18th-best scoring defense (62.5) in the nation.
Writer’s Prediction
Baylor (-5) wins but does not cover.
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