Kansas welcomes Baylor to Allen Fieldhouse for Friday night NCAA hoops action.
The Jayhawks are coming off a blowout win over No. 3 Iowa State, and my Baylor vs. Kansas predictions expect that momentum to carry over.
Here are my best college basketball picks for this Big 12 showdown on January 16.
Baylor vs Kansas prediction
Baylor vs Kansas best bet: Kansas 1H -4.5 (-110)
The Baylor Bears fill up the hoop against bad defenses but struggle to score against teams that defend at a high level.
They are fresh off a 94-79 win over Oklahoma State, but that snapped a three-game skid in which they scored fewer than 65 points against Houston, Iowa State, and TCU.
Now they go on the road to face the Kansas Jayhawks, who are 15th in the country in adjusted defense while ranking seventh in opponent eFG% (44.4%).
The Bears are vulnerable in their own end, where they lack ball pressure, give up open threes, and sit outside the Top 300 in defensive rebounding rate.
The Jayhawks have been inconsistent on offense, but that's because superstar guard Darryn Peterson (21.8 ppg on 47/40/86 shooting splits) has missed nine games with a hamstring injury.
With a healthy Peterson, this team looks like a title contender. While his playing time in the second half of games has been limited due to cramping, he should lead Kansas to a first-half cover tonight.
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Baylor vs Kansas same-game parlay
Baylor's interior play has been a major issue, which is why they controversially signed former NBA draft pick James Nnaji last month.
However, Nnaji has been a major disappointment, and the Bears have continued to get tormented by opposing bigs.
That makes this a juicy matchup for Kansas center Flory Bidunga, who averages 13.7 ppg and 8.8 rpg. The 6-foot-10 Flory Bidunga is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft and should dominate inside.
Baylor vs Kansas SGP
- Kansas -8
- Flory Bidunga Over 11.5 points
- Flory Bidunga Over 8.5 rebounds
Our beyond the arc SGP: YES!!
Baylor guard Tounde Yesssoufou (17.9 ppg) shoots just 29.9% from deep, and Kansas is eighth in the country in opponent 3PT% (28.2%).
The five-star freshman has knocked down fewer than 1.5 threes in eight of his last 11 games.
Baylor vs Kansas SGP
- Kansas -8
- Flory Bidunga Over 11.5 points
- Flory Bidunga Over 8.5 rebounds
- Tounde Yesssoufou Under 1.5 threes
Baylor vs Kansas odds
- Spread: Baylor +8 | Kansas -8
- Moneyline: Baylor +290 | Kansas -370
- Over/Under: Over 155 | Under 155
Baylor vs Kansas betting trend to know
Kansas has covered the first-half spread in 16 of its last 21 home games (+10.15 units, 42% ROI), while Baylor is just 12-22 ATS on first-half spreads over its last 34 games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for Baylor vs. Kansas.
How to watch Baylor vs Kansas
| Location | Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS |
| Date | Friday, January 16, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
Baylor vs Kansas key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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