With the college basketball season in full swing, odds are beginning to solidify for the upcoming conference tournaments that will determine half the field for the 2021 Mask Madness Tournament.
Right now the Big 12 has five top-25 teams in the latest AP poll, and looks to be very competitive at the top of the league. The conference tournament is slated to begin on March 10th at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
This year will mark the first time the league will crown a conference tournament champion since 2019. Last season’s tournament was canceled at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Iowa State, who currently sit at 0-4 in conference play, are the defending champions. The Kansas Jayhawks won the Big 12 regular-season title in 2020, after going 17-1 in conference play.
Baylor, Texas and Kansas are the clear favorites in the league this season. Currently, they sit at a combined 9-1 in conference play and are each ranked in the top 10 of the AP top 25.
No. 2 in the AP Poll, Baylor is led by Jared Butler who was named the Big 12’s preseason player of the year. He’s living up to the billing averaging over 16 points per game. The Bears also have MaCio Teague, averaging just under 16 ppg and Davion Mitchell, who is shooting 50% from three on the season.
Kansas is currently ranked No. 6 and has a strong offense, averaging over 74 points per game thanks to Jalen Wilson, who leads the team in rebounds and points per game.
Their one loss was a blowout to No. 4 Texas, who obliterated the Jayhawks 84-59. The Longhorns were led by Courtney Ramey and Matt Coleman III, each scoring over 13 points per game. Matt Brown and Jericho Sims are the big men who steal possessions away from the opponent, each with close to 7 boards each game.
Here are the current odds for each Big 12 team to win the conference tournament and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor +175
Texas +230
Kansas +280
West Virginia +600
Texas Tech +700
Oklahoma +2500
TCU +12000
Kansas State +30000
Iowa State +50000
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