Two Top 25 teams in the Big 12 will face each other on Saturday afternoon when the 2^nd-ranked Houston Cougars travel to Waco, Texas to face the 11^th-ranked Baylor Bears at the Foster Pavillion with the game scheduled to start at noon ET and will air on CBS.

The Houston Cougars enter this game ranked 2^nd in the AP Poll and 2^nd in the Coaches Poll with an overall record of 23-3 and are in 1^st place in the Big 12 with a record of 10-3 in conference play while having won their previous four games in a row including Monday’s 73-65 win at home against the 6^th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones. 

The success of Houston this season can be attributed to their defensive play as they are allowing the fewest points per game nationally with an average of 55.35 points per game. Offensively, the Cougars have also been a slightly above-average team as they are averaging 73.88 points per game which is above the national average of 73.81 points per game. 

Jamal Shead has played a pivotal role in the success Houston has had this season as he leads the team in assists and steals while being 2^nd on the team in scoring with an average of 13.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. The Houston Cougars will look to extend their winning streak to five games when they travel to face the Baylor Bears.

The Baylor Bears enter this game ranked 11^th in the AP Poll and 11^th in the Coaches Poll with an overall record of 19-7 and are in a tie with the Kansas Jayhawks and Texas Tech Red Raiders for 3^rd place in the Big 12 Conference with a record of 8-5 in conference play, however, they are coming off a 71-78 loss on the road against the 25^th-ranked BYU Cougars on Tuesday which also ended their two-game winning streak. 

The success of Baylor this season can be attributed to their play offensively as they rank 22^nd nationally with an average of 82.58 points per game. Defensively, the Bears have also been above-average as they are allowing an average of 70.96 points per game which is below the national average of 71.9 points per game. RayJ Dennis has been one of the better players on the team as he leads the team in assists and steals while being 2^nd on the team in scoring with an average of 13.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. 

The Baylor Bears will look to bounce back following the loss against BYU when they host the Houston Cougars on Saturday afternoon.

JustBets has the Houston Cougars listed as 2.5-point favorites on the road against the Baylor Bears on Saturday afternoon. Baylor has won the last two games in the series including the most recent game in the 2021 NCAA Tournament by a score of 78-59. The teams are 1-1 ATS in the last two games in the series. 

The Houston Cougars are 12-12-2 ATS overall, 1-6 ATS on the road, 12-12-2 ATS as a favorite, and 5-7-1 ATS in conference games this season while the Baylor Bears are 15-8-2 ATS overall, 8-4-1 ATS at home, 3-3 ATS as an underdog, and 7-5-1 ATS in conference games on the year.

Houston enters this game with a better record and is the higher-ranked team, however, Baylor has won the last two games in the series. The Bears have also been the better team at covering the spread this season with a record of 15-8-2 ATS overall and 8-4-1 ATS at home while the Cougars are 12-12-2 ATS overall and 1-6 ATS on the road which is why I am buying the .5 point and taking the points with the Baylor Bears when they host the Houston Cougars on Saturday afternoon.