Kansas vs. Baylor college basketball odds, pick: Jayhawks look to avoid first three-game Big 12 losing streak in decade

There's just one college basketball game Monday that features a pair of ranked teams, a Big 12 clash featuring No. 2 Kansas at No. 21 Baylor. Kansas' ranking will drop and Baylor's will rise when the new AP Top 25 is released later today. The Jayhawks look to avoid their first three-game losing streak including a home game in 10 years and fourth all-time under Bill Self, but are 2-point underdogs at Caesars Sportsbook. These teams are the two most recent national champions.

Kansas got 23 first-place votes in last week's AP poll but may slide out of the top 10 following losses last week at rival Kansas State and home to TCU despite back-to-back 30-point games from star Jalen Wilson (68 points total). The loss to the Wildcats was completely understandable as it was by one point in overtime, but KU was blown out of Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday by the Horned Frogs, 83-60.

It was Kansas' second-largest defeat at home under Self, having previously lost 84-59 to Texas on Jan. 2, 2021. It was also the second-largest home loss by a top-3 team in the history of the AP poll – eclipsed only by the Jayhawks' 25-point loss to the Longhorns. TCU entered the game with an 0-17 record in road games vs. AP top-5 opponents.

Kansas endured a three-game skid in the 2020-21 season but all three were on the road. It was actually part of a four-game stretch but, one in the middle was postponed. This is the school's first two-game conference skid with at least one of the losses at home since February 2013:

• 85-80 vs. Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2013
• 62-55 at TCU on Feb. 6, 2013
• 72-66 at Oklahoma on Feb. 9, 2013

Kansas had eight two-game losing streaks in the 15-year Roy Williams era that preceded Self and two of those turned into three-game skids. The Jayhawks are 109-17 following a loss in the Self era, which started in 2003-04. Since 2012-13, KU is 56-8 after losses.

At 5-2, Kansas is a game behind Kansas State in the Big 12. The Jayhawks are still +190 favorites to win it at DraftKings with KSU next at +250. Baylor is +1200 as it is 4-3 in the league.

The Bears should climb a few spots in the new poll after a four-game winning streak and victories at Texas Tech and Oklahoma last week. Baylor has won the last two meetings of this series in Waco, the first time that has happened in series history. Seven of Baylor's eight all-time wins over Kansas have come under head coach Scott Drew.

Drew's starting guard trio of Keyonte George, Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer ranks as the fourth-highest scoring backcourt trio in college basketball (47.1 points per game). George is one of the nation's best freshman -- his 17.4 PPG is third-best among the class. His eight 20-point games are the most by a BU freshman since Aaron Bruce had nine in 2004-05.

NCAAB free pick: Baylor -130

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