Baylor vs. Oklahoma State: NCAA betting odds, preview, and pick

The defending national champions take to the road on Monday evening for a big conference matchup as the Baylor Bears face the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Baylor is 22-5 overall and 10-4 in Big 12 play, good enough to be tied for second place behind Kansas. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are 13-13 overall and 6-8 in conference play, but they have been far better at home, where they have posted a 9-5 straight-up record.

Let’s dive into this matchup, beginning with the latest betting odds available.

Baylor is Dealing With Injuries

Baylor had been ranked No. 1 in the country before Oklahoma State came to Waco Jan. 15 and won as road underdogs, 61-54. Since that time, the Bears have had to deal with a significant run of injuries, which has contributed to three more losses on their record.

Athletic big man Tchamwa Tchatchoua suffered a devastating knee injury that ended his season. He was averaging 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as the team’s top rebounder. Top-scoring guard LJ Cryer has missed six of the last seven games with a foot injury. His 46.8% shooting from deep really helps the Bears stretch the floor offensively. Fellow guard and third-leading scorer Adam Flagler also missed the last game with a sore knee.

As the Bears deal with these injuries, veteran guards James Akinjo and Matthew Mayer are being asked to increase their output and shoulder a much heavier load.

Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Betting Trends

• The underdog is 4-1 against the spread in the last five games between these teams
• Baylor is 25-10-1 against the spread in its last 36 road games
• The road team is 15-4-2 against the spread in the last 21 games between these teams
• Oklahoma State is 1-7 against the spread in its last eight games following a straight-up win

Expect a defensive grind

Baylor has one of the nation’s best offenses, ranking seventh in KenPom’s efficiency rankings, and comes in averaging over 77 points per game. However, the Bears are clearly not at full strength, and Oklahoma State has already shown it can slow these Bears down.

If Flagler and Cryer continue to miss time and sit out this game, nearly 35 points per game will be absent from the Bears' offense. That's A LOT to overcome.

The Cowboys don’t have any postseason glory to play for, but they’ve known that all season and continue to play hard under the leadership of junior guard Avery Anderson. Baylor is clearly the better team when fully equipped, but this is a bad spot on the road in a tough conference environment against one of the Big 12's stronger defenses. Baylor will still prevail, but Oklahoma State will keep the game uncomfortably close until the end and will cover the spread.

Score prediction: Baylor 65, Oklahoma State 63

NCAAB pick: Oklahoma State +4.5

Baylor vs. Oklahoma State pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for Baylor to win and cover the spread.