Picks, Point Spread, Preview: What to Know for OSU vs. Baylor

The Cowboys are white hot, but they will put their five-game winning streak to the test Thursday against No. 3 Baylor.

The Bears locked up a regular season Big 12 title with a win against West Virginia this week but have looked a little rusty out of their nearly monthlong COVID break. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are No. 17 in the AP Poll and have won six of their past seven, including their past five.

Here are our picks plus the game’s viewing info.

Picks

• Spread (KenPom): Baylor -12

Marshall Scott: I could see OSU winning this game big, OSU winning this game close, Baylor winning this game close or Baylor winning this game big. So, help. This seems like the time you would want to play Baylor with the Bears not looking so hot out of their COVID break, but the Bears were able to pull out a great win in Morgantown this week. OSU had a halftime lead against Baylor in Stillwater, and that was without Cade Cunningham and Rondel Walker. The Pokes have also been surging down the stretch, so I don’t know. I’ll take the safe option in Baylor, but that point spread seems a little stiff.

Prediction: Baylor 77, Oklahoma State 74

Kyle Cox: 12 points (!) Stay away from that. As far as predictions go, I’ll put my (theoretic) dollars on the Big 12 champs. The Bears have shown a little hibernation hangover but they’ve also lost just once in Waco over the last two seasons — and that was by 3 to then-No. 3 Kansas, over a year ago. My Thursday morning gut feeling is that the surging Pokes split these last two (which would be an impressive feat) but that they come up short in Waco.

Prediction: Baylor 74, Oklahoma State 70

Viewing Information

• Tip time: 6 p.m. Thursday

• Location: Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas

• Channel: ESPN2