CBB weekend betting preview: Can No. 1 Baylor avoid slipup at Florida?
Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.
One of the slowest weekends of the sports calendar means much of the focus will be on college basketball, and for good reason: 22 of the top 25 teams are in action over the next three days, including a top-25 matchup between two clubs that made deep tourney runs a year ago.
Here's a betting breakdown of this weekend's top matchups.
No. 1 Baylor at Florida
If we know anything, it's that the No. 1 team is never safe. We've already had seven clubs earn the top spot in the polls, including Baylor, and three of the previous six teams lost their pole position the same week they earned it.
Florida hasn't really been on the radar for a top-25 spot thanks to six losses in its first 18 games, but the Gators are an impressive 7-1 at home and recently dispatched then-No. 4 Auburn. Mike White's team held the Tigers to 25.5% shooting from the field, 17.4% from deep, and feasted on Auburn's interior defense in a 22-point win.
It'd be surprising to see a similar performance against Baylor. The top-ranked Bears are among the nation's most efficient offenses despite recording poor percentages from everywhere on the court. Instead, their prolific offensive rebounding totals - despite having just two regular starters taller than 6-foot-3 - and slow tempo have helped maximize their scoring opportunities.
Baylor's defense ranks fourth in points allowed per possession and is among the best at limiting points in the paint. It should be able to contain Florida star Kerry Blackshear Jr. and breakout freshman Omar Payne, who played a key role in the Auburn upset.
The Bears' only loss this year was to Washington, which features elite interior size that Florida simply doesn't have. The Gators were handled on the boards in Tuesday's loss at LSU, which should provide a similar script for Baylor on Saturday.
Tennessee at No. 3 Kansas
All eyes will be on this game following the ugly brawl that resulted in suspensions for Kansas forwards Silvio De Sousa (12 games) and David McCormack (two games), two regular contributors in the Jayhawks' frontcourt.
Kansas' offense has done much of its damage inside this year, and its top-ranked defense has been predicated on forcing teams to launch from the perimeter. Both could be affected by losing two key bigs, and Tennessee's stellar interior defense will make the transition even harder for the Jayhawks.
With Kansas' rotation thinned, expect coach Bill Self to slow the tempo more than usual to preserve some energy for his seven scholarship players. That alone points to the under, which has hit in seven of the team's last eight games.
The Volunteers will be hard-pressed to pull off the outright upset - Kansas has won 27 of its last 28 games at home, with its only loss coming against Baylor this year - but they should be able to keep it close in what could be a sluggish affair.
No. 15 Kentucky at No. 18 Texas Tech
Following a surprise Elite Eight run a year ago, this season hasn't gone perfectly for the Wildcats, who opened the year ranked No. 2 in the polls before stumbling through their non-conference schedule with three losses.
Kentucky's mostly righted the ship since then, but the meat of its schedule begins Saturday against Texas Tech, the first of four top-50 KenPom squads in the team's next five games, including three away from Lexington. The Red Raiders have been up and down this year but boast a 9-1 home record, which includes a win over Louisville and a narrow loss to Baylor.
Chris Beard's defense will pose the toughest test yet for Kentucky, which has been plagued by sloppy turnovers early in the year. The Wildcats have also been perimeter-averse this season, which is a tough matchup against a Red Raiders defense that swarms the paint with ferocity.
Texas Tech has its own issues offensively, but the Wildcats aren't a great fit to exploit them. Expect the Red Raiders to open as short favorites at home, which should be a favorable spot to play Texas Tech.
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.