The conference schedule will only get more entertaining as the college basketball season rolls along! Teams will jockey for position as the four month gauntlet has already begun for some. Guess what this week brings us? That's correct. Let's check out some Big 12 contenders. At Online Sports Betting, we look at a few teams who might just win the conference. So, first, we look at NCAAM Conference Top Bets featuring Kansas, Houston, and more. Simply, this conference is stacked!
- WHAT: Big 12 Conference Top Contenders
- WHEN: From Now Until March
- WHERE: College Campuses from Kansas to Texas to even Utah
- WHY: The Big 12 may give us the National Champion this year
Some argue the SEC is the best conference when it comes to numbers. However, here at the NCAAM Conference Top Bets, we instead pivot to the Big 12 because of their history and tournament pedigree (see Kansas and Baylor recently). Now, betting on NCAA College Men's basketball conference futures can be a crapshoot. After all, Kansas was in a three-way battle last year and it may be four or five this year. Numbers come to us early, courtesy of Bovada Online Sportsbook.
| Big 12 NCAAM Early Numbers |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | +180 | +200 | +210 |
| Houston | +350 | +280 | +250 |
| Baylor | +700 | +700 | +650 |
| Texas | +850 | +1000 | +960 |
| TCU | +1000 | +1200 | +1300 |
| BYU | +1600 | +1600 | +1800 |
NCAAM Conference Top Bets Love Kansas Once Again
NCAAM Conference Top Bets love Kansas once again. So, it really is like a torrid love affair. The twist is very early last season, Kansas was the third choice in the conference. Then, things went a little sideways at Texas and Baylor for starters. Now, that allowed the Jayhawks to sneak in, win 13 of 18 conference games, and take the title again. The first conference title in 2021 led to a national title. Last year, things ended poorly in Round 2 of March Madness against Arkansas.
One has to admire the fact that Kansas challenges all comers. Also, it did not hurt that the Jayhawks added Hunter Dickinson, the big Center who formerly played for Michigan. Combine his prowess with KJ Adams and Kevin McCullar and Kansas becomes even more scary than the previous season. Bill Self has quite a team as evidenced by their start. They won seven of their first eight games including a defeat of the national champion Connecticut Huskies on Friday night.
This team is going to be fun to watch in conference play. Now, the good news for the Jayhawks is they will be plenty battle-tested. The Big 12 annually is one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, period! Bill Self will need to avoid suspensions and stay in good health as much as his team.
It is intriguing that some other books have adjusted their numbers some. Even MyBookie went out to +210 and that is a pretty good one.
Houston Can Crash Any Party!
Those NCAAM Conference Top Bets found a contender to the throne. Houston is a team that can crash any party. Now, the Big 12 knows Kelvin Sampson very well. He coached at Oklahoma for more than a decade, got to a Final Four, and nearly won a National Title. At Houston, Sampson nearly did it again in 2021. Now, the Cougars head into the Big 12 to play their college basketball. Already, their non-conference wins have drawn some notice along with their style of play.
The other thing Houston knows is defense. This team ranks in the top three in defensive rating for the past five seasons. Houston tops the list early in 2023-24. Currently, the Cougars yield a meager 50.4 points per game. The Big 12 is going to realize that points will not be as easy to come by versus this team come the meat of conference play. Houston won 33 games and 17 of 18 in the All-American Conference last year. While no one expects that now, do not be surprised if they crash and splash to the top.
LJ Cryer is one of the best guards in the country offensively and defensively. This team may not be the biggest, but they are athletic and quick! Cryer leads that charge as their defensive containment tops the nation. Again, the Big 12 plays at a pace that can be downright frenetic. If any one team can adapt to that, it would be Houston. Yes, their coach knows these teams well. Debatably, he may know them too well.
Simply, look out conference below, Houston is coming and Under bettors may rejoice a little. Here come the party crashers!
We Did Not Forget Some Texas Schools
So, what NCAAM Conference Top Bets wanted to say we did not forget some Texas schools. The hard part is trying to fit everyone in with such a jammed conference picture. Texas and Baylor could potentially be neck-and-neck with the likes of Houston and Kansas. Both come in with more value in their numbers. Scott Drew has the Baylor Bears playing very well at 7-0. It looks like a few years ago when they vaulted to a national title. Their win over Florida was a gutty one and exciting.
Some are talking up Texas as well. The Longhorns did get humbled a bit by Connecticut but this 6-1 Texas squad is still rather good. However, the Bears are the team that some keep harping on. It is partly why MyBookie quickly shortened their numbers from +1000 to +650. The Bears also have as many as six players who can score double digits on any night. Their balance can pay dividends in the Big 12.
Although a school like TCU can hang around, Baylor probably outranks both them and Texas when it comes to our hierarchy of Big 12 teams. Baylor might be back once again.
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