The Big 12 may be down to 9 teams, but the quality at the top of this conference remains. The top four teams in this tournament (Kansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, and Texas) are all top-15 teams in the current KenPom rankings.
The lopsided nature of the Big 12 results in some odds that you won't find at any other major conference. The top 4 teams all have odds of +550 or better, with the other 5 teams facing +2000 odds or worse to win the tournament.
The structure for the Big 12 Tournament is different than what we will see in the ACC and Big 10, where the top seeds get byes through the first two rounds. Every team plays in the second round, with the first round acting as a play-in game for the bottom two teams in the conference. Kansas State and West Virginia will play in the first round with the winner moving on to face the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks.
Here's a look at the current Big 12 tournament odds for all 9 teams:
Big 12 Tournament Odds
Latest Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
| Big 12 Team |
Tournament Odds |
| Kansas |
+200 |
| Baylor |
+200 |
| Texas Tech |
+340 |
| Texas |
+550 |
| TCU |
+2000 |
| Big 12 Team |
Tournament Odds |
| Oklahoma |
+4000 |
| Iowa State |
+5000 |
| Kansas State |
+8000 |
| West Virginia |
+9000 |
With four teams listed at +550 odds or better, can anyone outside of that group make a run, win the Big 12 Tournament, and punch a ticket to the big dance? Here are our three best bets for the Big 12 Tournament, including two teams with +4000 odds or longer.
Best Bet: Texas
Best Available Odds: +650 at BetMGM
I had to throw away the top seeded teams here, as their odds are just too short. However, Texas has tremendous value for a team that is in the top 35 in offensive efficiency and top 15 in defensive efficiency. If they get by TCU, they'll likely get Kansas, who they split with this season before heading into the Big 12 final.
Best Value: Oklahoma
Best Available Odds: +4000 at Draftkings
Interesting to see these odds so high when FanDuel has them at just +1600. That alone shows tremendous value. They have won 3 straight games heading into the tournament and have a top 55 offensive efficiency rank and top 40 defensive rank. They will need to handle the pressure of Baylor to get by them, but if they do, they are more than capable of handling either Texas Tech or Iowa State.
Longshot Big 12 Bet: Iowa State
Best Available Odds: +5000 at Caesars
Speaking of the Cyclones, you never know what version of this team you are going to get. Will it be the version that took Kansas to the wire on the road and followed that with a win over Texas the following game? Or will it be the version that was held to just 36 points at home to Oklahoma State? We hope for the former with this ticket, but, looking at the KenPom rankings, at #39 in the country, Iowa State is the one Big 12 longshot that has a real chance at making a tournament run.
