College Basketball Betting: 3 Teams Stand Out in the Big 12 Race

College basketball's conference play has just begun, but it's already clear which conference will likely be the best in the nation. The Big 12 is not for the weak, with 10 teams in KenPom's top 40 squads. The next best mark is the Big Ten and SEC, conferences with six teams inside the top 40. As if the Big 12 was not already a beast in recent seasons, Houston, BYU, and Cincinnati -- who are all in their first year in the conference -- have only strengthened the league as top-40 KenPom teams.

The Big 12 has produced college basketball national champion in two of the last three seasons. The conference's takeover might only be just beginning as its loaded group of teams is better than ever. The Big 12 has as much national relevance as any league out there and should have a huge impact on the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Whoever reigns supreme in this loaded conference should have a deep postseason run ahead of them. Who are the early betting favorites to win the conference, per FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball conference odds? Finding the best pick could give us a leg up in multiple futures bets, including some for March Madness.

Big 12 Basketball Odds

Houston Cougars (+230)

Houston -- the most notable new addition to the conference -- is currently the betting favorite at +230. Even after starting 1-1 in league play, the Cougars are still leading the pack in betting odds as KenPom's top-ranked team in the nation.

Elite defense has led the way as the Cougars have college basketball's best adjusted defensive efficiency. Houston leads the nation in points per game (PPG) allowed, field attempts allowed per contest, and opponent field goal percentage (FG%). The impressive feats do not stop there as the defense features three of EvanMiya's top four defenders in the nation, including Jamal Shead, Joseph Tugler, and Ja'Vier Francis.

The offense isn't too shabby, either, as the nation's 16th-best unit, but they lean on extra possessions as they are in the bottom 42% of FG% and rank in the 99th percentile of offensive rebounds per game.

The Cougars' focus will likely be on improving their offense, and getting acclimated to the loaded Big 12 slate is surely a big adjustment.

Kansas Jayhawks (+350)

Prior to Wednesday loss against UCF -- who is 76th in the NCAA's NET Rankings -- Kansas was the favorite to win the Big 12. They are now tied for the second-shortest odds.

Of course, the Jayhawks have ruled the Big 12 by winning 12 of the past 14 regular-season titles. But with only one outright title over the last three seasons and new additions to the conference, Kansas' domination could be coming to an end.

The Jayhawks could be quickly fading out of the Big 12 picture if they do not find answers soon. They have fallen to KenPom's 19th-best team and now have just the eighth-shortest odds to win the national championship (+2500). Imbalance on offense has been a concern for most of the season; this has continued to become more alarming as they rank 43rd in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Kansas can hang their hat on two elite players in Kevin McCullar Jr. (19.8 PPG) and Hunter Dickinson (18.9 PPG). However, the two combine for 49.3% of the Jayhawks' scoring production (the team averages 78.5 PPG). The offense simply must find balance.

Baylor Bears (+350)

Baylor has been a riser in the Big 12 rankings as they are 2-0 in conference play. Ahead of Saturday's bout with Cincinnati, the Bears have won consecutive games on the back of their talented offense.

If you've followed any Baylor basketball over the last few years, you know their formula for winning is guard play. This remains the same as the Bears are led by Ja'Kobe Walter (15.3 PPG), RayJ Dennis (13.9 PPG), and Langston Love (11.3 PPG). Walter, a freshman, has come into his own over the last five games at 17.4 PPG while reaching at least 23 points in two contests.

This is an extremely balanced offense, boasting six double-digit scorers in the rotation. Baylor's offense, which ranks fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency, could give anyone fits in conference play. To win their third regular-season Big 12 title since the 2020-21 season, the Bears' defense must improve (71st in adjusted defensive efficiency).

Others

Texas Tech (+950), TCU (+1000), and BYU (+1200) have the next-best odds to win the conference.

The Red Raiders are off to a hot start with a 13-2 record, including 2-0 in league play. However, they have major concerns, with their leading scorer, Pop Isaacs, (16.7 PPG) dealing with serious off-the-court concerns.

TCU is a bit interesting after they took out Oklahoma, 80-71, on Wednesday. The Horned Frogs have been balanced, owning the 36th-best adjusted offensive efficiency and 37th-best adjusted defensive efficiency.

The sleeper to watch could be BYU. The Cougars have been highly efficient as KenPom's 12th-best squad with a top-20 unit in offense and defense. Their rotation features a lot of size, with five of the six most used players standing at least 6-foot-5 tall. BYU also dominates the three-point category by attempting the second-most treys per game and giving up only 19.9 three-point attempts per contest (78th percentile).

There is no shoe-in for the regular-season Big 12 title. This is a loaded conference with plenty of viable contenders. While Houston is the early favorite, Baylor is a rising candidate to watch, and BYU is a potential dark horse with their impressive stats.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.