Redemption could be a popular theme for the Wednesday college basketball betting slate.
Back in mid-January, defending national champion Baylor had been cruising along at 15-0 with a stranglehold on the nation’s No. 1 ranking. But a stunning home defeat to Texas Tech knocked the Bears from their lofty perch, and subsequently launched a three-week funk that included a 4-4 SU record.
Some six weeks earlier, Rutgers suffered through an ugly late-November stretch that included losses to DePaul, Lafayette College, and Massachusetts, followed by a disastrous 86-51 loss at Illinois on Dec. 3 in the Big Ten opener. On that day, the veteran-laden Scarlet Knights looked woefully unprepared for the conference season.
Fast forward to the present: No. 7 Baylor, which moved up three spots in this week’s Associated Press poll, is coming off back-to-back wins and remains a prime contender for the Big 12 regular-season title. Meanwhile, Rutgers is 9-4 in Big Ten play since getting pummeled at Illinois, including three consecutive upset victories over ranked opponents.
Needless to say, both Baylor and Rutgers will be in revenge mode Wednesday night, with the Bears traveling to Texas Tech and the Scarlet Knights hosting Illinois in two of the more intriguing matchups on the college basketball betting board.
Both will take the court as short underdogs, which leads to the question: Does either team offer strong wagering value? Let’s find out, as Props.com breaks down the Wednesday college basketball betting odds for Baylor-Texas Tech and Illinois-Rutgers.
College basketball betting odds via PointsBet USA and updated as of 12 noon ET on Feb. 16.
No. 7 Baylor Vs No. 11 Texas Tech
Tipoff/TV: 9 p.m. ET/ESPN2
Baylor: 21-4 SU (9-3 Big 12)/14-10-1 ATS
Texas Tech: 19-6 SU (8-4 Big 12)/17-8 ATS
Spread/Total: Texas Tech -2 (-110)/136.5
Last meeting: Texas Tech dealt the Bears their first loss of the season last month, scoring a 65-62 upset as an 11.5-point road underdog (Jan. 11)
Did you know: The Red Raiders have the ninth-best point-spread record in the nation, including an 11-2 ATS mark in their last 13 contests
About Baylor: Six of Baylor’s last eight victories have had a double-digit margin, including Saturday’s 80-63 thumping of No. 20 Texas as a 5.5-point home favorite. It was a costly win, though, as forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua — who leads the Bears in rebounding (6.8 per game) and field-goal shooting (67.7%) — suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first half. Baylor also is without leading scorer LJ Cryer (13.9 ppg), who is expected to be sidelined through the month with a foot injury. Within Big 12 circles, the Bears rank first in assists (16.5 per game), steals (9.4 per contest), and 3-point proficiency (35.8%). They’re also second in scoring offense (77.9 ppg) and rebounds (37.7 per game). On the downside, Baylor is 5-11 against ranked teams on the road since February 2017.
About Texas Tech: The Red Raiders improved to 9-3 in their last 12 games with Saturday’s 82-69 win over TCU as a 10.5-point home chalk. Texas Tech is unbeaten on its home floor at 15-0, cashing in 12 of those contests. Among Big 12 programs, Texas Tech ranks second in scoring defense (60.9 ppg, 15th nationally) and scoring margin (12.9 points per game), and third in scoring offense (73.8 ppg) and rebounding (73.2 per game).
What’s At Stake: Baylor (9-3) trails No. 6 Kansas (10-2) by one game in the Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks won the first meeting handily at home but travel to Waco for the rematch Feb. 26. Texas Tech (8-4) is right behind Baylor and Kansas in third place, but has already played the Jayhawks twice. Both Baylor (4th overall) and Texas Tech (12th) are in solid shape in the NCAA’s NET rankings. As a result, they’re in contention for a one or two-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Players To Watch
Baylor guard James Akinjo is coming off consecutive 15-point games against Kansas State and Texas. The 6-foot-1 senior — who had 17 points, five assists, and four rebounds in last month’s loss to Texas Tech — leads the Bears in assists (5.7 per game), steals (2.2 per game), and free-throw shooting (82.4%). He ranks second on the squad in scoring (13.1 points per game).
Teas Tech forward Bryson Williams paces the Red Raiders in scoring (13.4 ppg) and 3-point shooting (45.8%). He also ranks third in rebounding (4.9 per game) and free-throw shooting (76.2%). The 6-foot-8 senior has scored in double digits in 12 of his last 13 games, including a 13-point effort at Baylor.
Notable Trends
- Baylor is 5-1 SU/4-2 ATS in Big 12 road games
- Baylor is 6-2 ATS in its last eight as a road underdog
- Texas Tech is 7-0 SU/ATS in Big 12 home games
- Texas Tech is 15-3 ATS in its last 18 as a home chalk
- Over is 16-6 in Baylor’s last 22 as an underdog
- Over is 6-1 in Texas Tech’s last seven at home
- Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five series meetings
Baylor Vs Texas Tech Odds and Action
Update 6:15 p.m. ET: Texas Tech opened as a 1-point home favorite over Baylor at WynnBet and is now up to -1.5. Ticket count and money are virtually dead even, with Baylor holding slight edges on both fronts (51.1% and 52.4%, respectively). The total is holding firm at the opening number of 136, but there’s a clear difference of opinion between Pros and Joes: 83.3% of the tickets are on the Over, but 57.5% of the money is on the Under.
No. 12 Illinois Vs Rutgers
Tipoff/TV: 7 p.m. ET/Big Ten Network
Illinois: 18-6 SU (11-3 Big Ten)/11-13 ATS
Rutgers: 15-9 SU (9-5 Big Ten)/11-12-1 ATS
Spread/Total: Illinois -3.5 (-110)/135
Last meeting: The Illini annihilated Rutgers 86-51 as a 9.5-point home favorite (Dec. 3, 2021)
Did you know: The home team has won eight of the last nine series meetings (6-3 ATS)
About Illinois-Rutgers: The Illini, who lead Purdue by a half-game in the Big Ten standings, have prevailed in four of their last five, including Saturday’s 73-66 victory over Northwestern. However, Illinois failed to cover as a 10.5-point home favorite. The Scarlet Knights have knocked off three consecutive ranked Big Ten opponents, all as an underdog. After topping Michigan State (84-63) and Ohio State (66-64), Rutgers traveled to Wisconsin on Saturday and rolled 73-65 as an 8-point road underdog. Despite the recent flurry, Rutgers is still 81st in the NCAA’s NET rankings. Among Big Ten programs, Illinois ranks first in rebounds (40.3 per contest) and third in scoring offense (76.6 ppg), while Rutgers ranks second in steals (7.4 per game) but only 12th in scoring offense (68.4 ppg).
Notable Trends
- Illinois is mired in a 2-6 ATS funk
- Illinois is 1-4 ATS in its last five Big Ten road contests
- Rutgers is on a 4-0 ATS roll (all as an underdog)
- Rutgers is 5-1 SU/ATS in Big Ten home games
- Favorite is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 series meetings
- Over is 13-6-1 in Illinois’ last 20 overall
- Over is 6-1-1 in the last eight series clashes
Illinois Vs Rutgers Odds and Action
Update 6:15 p.m. ET: Over at WynnBet, Illinois opened as a 4-point road favorite, but the line has since dipped to Illini -3.5. The money favors host Rutgers (77.8%), but a modest majority of tickets are on Illinois (57.6%). There’s an overwhelming consensus on the total, which has moved from an opener of 133 to 134.5: At WynnBet, 93.1% of tickets and 99.5% of money is on the Over.
