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No. 6 Baylor is still regarded by many as a No. 1 seed despite a couple losses last week, but they’ll enter Stillwater as underdogs against a suddenly surging Oklahoma State team.
A couple weeks ago, this may have looked like a blowout waiting to happen, but it opened as a pick ’em and the line has since moved towards the Cowboys.
Here’s a complete look at everything you need to know about the compelling Big 12 matchup:
Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Betting Information
Note: All odds and numbers courtesy of OddsShark.com
Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Spread: Oklahoma State (-1.5)
Moneyline: Baylor (+105); Oklahoma State (-135)
Over/Under: 145
Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Prediction
Since a home loss to Kansas State dropped the Cowboys to 0-6 in the Big 12 back on January 18, they’ve reeled off five straight victories to re-enter the NCAA tournament picture. None of those were real signature victories until Saturday, when they went into Morgantown, dropped 82 points on one of the country’s best defenses and beat then No. 7 West Virginia.
During their five-game winning streak, Oklahoma State has averaged a whopping 84.2 points per game and jumped to No. 2 in the nation in Ken Pomeroy’s offensive efficiency rankings.
That’s what makes this matchup so interesting, as Baylor ranks fifth in Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency ratings. When these teams met in early January, the Bears’ length bothered Oklahoma State to 57 points on 34.5 percent shooting and forced star pointed Jawun Evans into arguably his worst game of the season (eight points on 2-of-12 from the field).
Despite that, Baylor still only won by four at home. Expect Evans, who is averaging 18.4 points on 49.1 percent shooting during Oklahoma State’s winning streak, to have a much better game this time around, helping the red-hot Cowboys to another Top-10 win.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 70, Baylor 67