Texas Longhorns at Baylor Bears
Saturday, 1/5/12, 2:00 PM EST, TV: ESPNU
Opening Point Spread: Baylor -9
Current Betting Line: Baylor -10
Opening Total: 131.5
Current Total: 131.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Texas has won three of its last four games, including a 57-41 victory over the Rice Owls as 18-point home favorites on Dec. 29, while going UNDER the total in consecutive contests. The Longhorns will now try to improve upon Rick Barnes’ 12-2 record in Big 12 Conference openers. The program is also a dominating 124-17 when taking on in-state opponents during his time in Austin. Texas is 2-1 ATS as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points over the last two-plus seasons, with all three of those games going UNDER the total.
The Longhorns lead the entire nation in allowing opponents to shoot just 33.7 percent from the field, while ranking second in defending the 3-point line. Texas has also compiled a dominating 78-36 advantage in blocked shots over opponents this year. The team leads this particular series by a 157-81 margin, including a 26-6 mark during the Barnes era.
Baylor will look to bounce back from a disappointing 94-87 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs as 9.5-point road underdogs, while going OVER the total of 143. The Bears are riding an 11-game win streak against in-state opponents, which is important to consider when making your NCAA basketball picks Saturday. Through 12 games, the team is averaging 38.0 points in the paint per game, while holding opponents to 29.3. Offensively, the team has four players averaging in double figures, with senior guard Pierre Jackson leading the way in scoring 19.6 points per game. Baylor is 2-4 ATS as a favorite this year.
The Bears rank second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally with a 48.2 team field goal percentage, which is important to consider when looking over the college basketball odds page due to their opponents’ defensive success this year. It’s important to note that Baylor head coach Scott Drew will be serving a one-game suspension for this game, with Jerome Tang filling in for him on the sidelines. The team may be find without him at the Ferrell Center, as it has tallied a 49-9 mark at the venue in the last three-plus campaigns.
Sports bettors will likely back the Longhorns due to their 10-4 ATS mark at Baylor, while the Bears are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 Saturday games.
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