NCAA Football Picks: Kansas vs Baylor odds, preview, and prediction

• What: Kansas vs Baylor
• When: Saturday, October 22nd at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas
• How to watch: ESPN2

Big 12 action is in full force in the Online college football betting weekend as the 5-2 Kansas Jayhawks visit the 3-3 Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas at McLane Stadium. The kick-off is scheduled for 12 PM ET. KU is one of the most surprising teams in the country so far, jumping out to a 5-0 start before losing back-to-back games to TCU and Oklahoma without QB1 Jalon Daniels. He could be out again here, but his status is still undetermined. As for the Bears, they've also dropped two in a row, most recently falling to West Virginia by a score of 43-40. Continue reading for the Kansas vs Baylor prediction.

Before we get into the betting preview, lines, and picks for this conference clash, make sure to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks.

Kansas vs Baylor Odds

	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Kansas	+7.5 (-103)	+255	Ov 58 (-110)
Baylor	-7.5 (-117)	-305	Un 58 (-110)

When you look at the history, it makes sense why Baylor is such a heavy favorite on the moneyline at -305. They're riding a 12-game winning streak against the Jayhawks dating back to 2010, but this is a different Kansas team from prior years. The spread is at just 7.5 points though.

Kansas vs Baylor Betting Analysis

The Jayhawks have been downright brutal at football for many seasons. After all, this is a school that is mostly known for their basketball program. But, Lance Leipold has changed the narrative in 2022, with this team just one victory away from their first bowl appearance in 13 years. That's much in part to Daniels, a true dual-threat quarterback and a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy. Before getting injured two weeks ago against TCU, the signal-caller had completed 78% of his passes on the year, throwing for 11 touchdowns opposed to just one interception. He's likely unavailable until the beginning of November with a shoulder issue, though, so it's Jason Bean again on Saturday. The backup is making his presence felt and did so in a 52-42 loss to Oklahoma in Week 7. He went 16 for 27 for 265 yards and four passing scores, linking up with Lawrence Arnold and Mason Fairchild twice each in the endzone. It simply comes down to Kansas improving defensively because across the last two weeks, where they've struggled to contain their opponents, allowing 90 points between the TCU and Oklahoma matchups. Far from ideal. Baylor is no pushover offensively either, ranking 38th in total yards and 25th in points.

The Bears aren't off to the greatest start, sitting at 3-3 which is good for seventh in the Big 12. They're in desperate need of a win just like Kansas and should be able to thrive off the home energy before heading back on the road for a brutal schedule, where Baylor faces Texas Tech and Oklahoma away from Waco. Quarterback Blake Sharpen was the victim of a dirty hit on Saturday in the defeat to West Virginia and was tagged as questionable for Week 8. But, it appears he'll be ready to feature after practicing on Thursday, which gives the offense a huge boost. Sharpen threw for 326 yards and two TDs before exiting last weekend and has already went for over 1,400 yards. He's the ultimate leader and an important part of the Bears' engine. Taking advantage of a poor Kansas defense will be critical and given the way the Baylor attack has looked, they could be in for another big-time performance.

Kansas vs Baylor Prediction

Kansas is much better than in recent years, there is no question about it. Even though Bean is a senior with loads of experience, I do think Baylor has the edge here playing at home. The Jayhawks defense is looking just flat-out awful lately and something tells me it'll be hard to bounce back on the road. The Bears have too many playmakers and will be difficult to stop. I don't think it'll be a blowout, but Baylor should cover the spread and end their losing skid.

Baylor Bears To cover spread vs Kansas

-7.5 (-117)

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