Saturday’s college basketball best bets: Can BYU take down Gonzaga?

The college basketball season is in full swing, and there are plenty of betting opportunities. Our experts — ESPN’s Doug Kezirian and Jordan Schultz, as well as Vegas Stats & Information’s Matt Youmans — are here to give their best bets for Saturday’s lineup of games.

Records

Kezirian 7-3
Schultz 6-4
Youmans 6-12

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of Friday night, unless noted otherwise.

Saturday’s games

Kansas Jayhawks at Baylor Bears (-2)

Youmans: Not only might the Big 12 title be on the line in Waco, Texas, the Bears and Jayhawks are in the running for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. The KenPom projected score for this matchup is 64-63 in favor of Baylor, so it’s no surprise the line and total opened in the same range. The Bears took it to Kansas in the first meeting in January, winning 67-55 as 7½-point underdogs. Baylor’s swarming defense forced 14 turnovers and controlled the game.

The Jayhawks rank No. 2 in defensive efficiency and 11th in offensive efficiency. The Bears rank third in defensive efficiency and 22nd on the offensive end. I lean to Bill Self in the revenge spot mostly because he’s coaching the two best players on the floor in 7-footer Udoka Azubuike and point guard Devon Dotson. Fading the Bears has been bad news for bettors, but I’ll make a small play on the Jayhawks.

Pick: Kansas +2

Kezirian: Fade Baylor at your own peril. The market has gone against the Bears over the past two months but they continue to answer every challenge. Baylor is 11-4 ATS in 2020. Give me the nation’s top-ranked team at home, laying a short number. Kansas is solid and obviously seeks revenge, but I’ll side with Baylor until it demonstrates the stage or spread is too big.

Pick: Baylor -2

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