The No. 16-ranked Baylor Bears will look to stay in the thick of the Big 12 race Saturday when they host the Texas Longhorns in a key football showdown for both programs. The Bears (6-1, 3-1) enter Saturday tied with Oklahoma State for second place in the conference standings, one game behind Oklahoma. The Cowboys, who beat Baylor earlier this season, host Kansas this weekend. The Longhorns (4-3, 2-2) return from a bye following consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and could see their bowl hopes in jeopardy with a third straight defeat.
Kickoff from McLane Stadium is set for noon ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Bears as 2.5-point home favorites in the latests Texas vs. Baylor odds. The over-under is set at 61.5 points. Before making any Baylor vs. Texas picks, check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,900 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 9 of the 2021 season on a 26-11 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas vs. Baylor and locked in its coveted picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Baylor vs. Texas:
- Texas vs. Baylor point spread: Baylor -2.5
- Texas vs. Baylor over-under total: 61.5 points
- Texas vs. Baylor money line: Baylor -140, Texas +120
- TEXAS: The Longhorns are 4-1 against the spread in their past five road games.
- BAYLOR: The Bears are 7-3-1 in the last 11 meetings in this rivalry.
Featured Game | Baylor Bears vs. Texas Longhorns
Why Baylor can cover
Baylor’s players could have extra motivation Saturday following coach Dave Aranda’s efforts to quell speculation regarding his potential interest in the coaching vacancies at programs such as LSU and USC. Aranda is widely believed to be a favored candidate for LSU. He was the defensive coordinator for the Tigers team that won the national title two years ago and was largely credited for elevating the club’s defense from mediocre to one of the best in the country.
Aranda was a short-notice hire after former coach Matt Rhule bolted for the Carolina Panthers before the start of last season. Baylor went just 2-7 in last year’s pandemic-influenced season but Aranda assured Baylor supporters that the program was in good hands.
Aranda told the media this week that his team’s 31-29 upset over Iowa State in Week 4 as a touchdown underdog appeared to galvanize his team’s confidence and served as a signature win in his short tenure. He also shot down any notion that he might be interested in the high-profile job openings. “I love it here and my family loves it here. Baylor has been everything I’ve wanted it to be,” he said.
Why Texas can cover
The Longhorns should be refocused following their bye week, which came on the heels of back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in which they squandered double-digit leads. Those defeats quelled the Heisman hype surrounding running back Bijan Robinson, but he might still be the most explosive rusher in the country.
He is third in the country with 924 rushing yards on 146 attempts with 10 touchdowns. He rushed for 55 yards on 12 carries last year against Baylor while splitting time with Keontay Ingram, who has since transferred to USC. The Longhorns lost on their 2019 visit to Waco, but have still won five of the last six meetings in this series, including two road victories.
How to make Baylor vs. Texas picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the point total, projecting 69 combined points. The model has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Texas vs. Baylor? And which side of the spread cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
