The Baylor Bears will host the Arizona Wildcats on Monday night, intent on breaking free of a three-way tie for fifth place in the Big 12. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are tied for second place, and with a win, they’ll achieve sole possession of that spot.
This is the second meeting between these two teams this season. The Wildcats won by 11 points at home on Jan. 14. Can the Bears return the favor on their home court, or will the Wildcats notch their 12th win in conference play?
Find out below as we provide our prediction and break down the spread, total, and money line bets.
Arizona vs. Baylor Betting Preview
All Arizona vs. Baylor odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook and are correct as of Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
- Spread
Baylor -1.5 - CSN Spread
Arizona -3 - Moneyline
Baylor -122, Arizona +102 - Over/Under
153.5 points - Game Time
Monday, Feb. 17, 10:00 p.m. ET - Location
Foster Pavilion | Waco, TX - How To Watch
ESPN
Arizona enters with a 17-8 overall record, including a 11-3 mark in Big 12 play. They’re 14-11 ATS this season and 9-6 in conference. They haven’t covered their last two games as part of their two-game skid, but that may be an aberration, as they covered six in a row prior to that.
The Wildcats score 81.3 points per game, and that’s reflected in their over/under track record. 14 of their 25 games have gone over the listed point total, including nine of 15 in Big 12 matchups.
Similar to covering the spread, Arizona’s offense has been particularly poor in its last two games, scoring 70 and 58 points, making the under the successful play.
Baylor enters their second meeting with the Wildcats with an 8-6 conference record and a 16-9 overall record. However, they haven’t been good at covering the spread, only covering nine of 25 opportunities. The Bears have covered only 35.7% of their conference matchups and haven’t covered in three of their past four games.
The over has hit in 15 of Baylors’ 24 games but only 50% in Big 12 play. However, they’ve been trending up recently, as the over has hit in their last three outings.
Arizona vs. Baylor CSN Power Rankings Line
While Vegas has the line at Baylor -1.5, our metrics point towards Arizona being favored by -3. That’s likely due to where they stand in our power rankings. The Bears are slotted at No. 23, while the Wildcats occupy the No. 8 spot.
Despite traveling to Waco, our metrics indicate that the correct play would be to take the Wildcats’ side of the line.
Preview for Arizona vs. Baylor
Baylor will be coming into this game with revenge on their minds; they were ranked No. 25 in the nation when the Wildcats knocked them off back in January.
Arizona will be looking to get back in the win column after two rough scoring games from every player. They’ll need a better performance from their leader, fifth-year senior guard Caleb Love, who is averaging 15.9 ppg.
However, in the last two, he combined to score 23 points on nine-for-30 shooting from the field. He’ll need help from fellow guards Jaden Bradley and J.J. Lewis, who each average double-figure scoring. Bradley is also the team’s leading passer, contributing 3.8 apg.
Down low, forwards Tobe Awake and Trey Townsend form a solid duo, grabbing 11.7 rpg between the two. Still, they only managed three total points in the most recent loss to the Houston Cougars.
They’ll have their hands full with six-foot-seven forward Norchad Omier, who’s a double-double machine, recently notching the 81st of his career. This season, he averages a team-leading 15.7 ppg and conference-leading 10.2 rpg. He’s achieved a double-double in four of his last five games.
He’ll be helped out on the perimeter by freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe, who scores 14.6 ppg and grabs 5.3 rpg. Edgecombe has immense talent—he’ll be a surefire lottery selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Fellow freshman, point guard Robert Wright III, conducts the offense to the tune of a team-leading 4.6 apg, along with 12.8 ppg.
The Bears are a young, yet extremely talented team, just waiting to knock down the door and reach their full potential.
Best Bets and Final Score Prediction
Arizona hasn’t been themselves offensively in the past two games. The biggest question is whether that’s an anomaly or the new norm as the regular season winds down.
I’d believe the former. They’re too talented to have three consecutive lackluster offensive outputs. Because of that—and the Bears’ propensity for the over hitting—take the over of 151.5 points in this one. It will be played in the 70’s for sure, and may hit the 80’s for each team.
The line is essentially even, with Baylor a slight favorite, likely due to their home-court advantage. While it may seem attractive to pick the young and talented Bears, they aren’t exactly on a hot streak of their own.
They come in having only won three of their last six. With both teams at their best, the Wildcats would clear the Bears—much like they did in their previous meeting.
MORE MONDAY NIGHT ACTION: Duke vs. Virginia
Despite being on the road, I like the Wildcats to round back into form and defeat the Bears. They’ll realize the importance of earning sole possession of No. 2 in Big 12 standings, so we’ll take Arizona’s money line bet with +102 odds.
It truly could go either way, but with the odds just slightly bigger and with more experience, the Wildcats should take this one and complete the season sweep in a high-scoring affair.
Picks: Over 151.5 Points, Arizona ML (+102)
Prediction: Arizona 82, Baylor 79
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
