The Arizona Wildcats take on the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Arizona is favored by 9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -600. The total is set at 153.5 points.
Here’s my Arizona vs. Baylor prediction and college basketball picks for February 24, 2026.
Arizona vs Baylor Prediction
My Pick: Arizona -9.5
My Arizona vs Baylor best bet is on the Wildcats to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Arizona vs. Baylor Odds
| Arizona Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -115 | 153.5 -110 / -110 | -600 |
| Baylor Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -105 | 153.5 -110 / -110 | +450 |
- Arizona vs Baylor spread: Arizona -9.5
- Arizona vs Baylor over/under: 153.5 points
- Arizona vs Baylor moneyline: Arizona -600, Baylor +450
Arizona vs Baylor College Basketball Betting Preview
Arizona Basketball
The Wildcats have an impressive 25-2 overall record, but they've split their last four contests.
Arizona is coming off a massive road victory at Houston on Saturday without two of its star freshmen, Koa Peat and Dwayne Aristode (out for this game as well).
Arizona was a six-point underdog heading into Saturday’s top-five matchup, and that really showed how much depth this Tommy Lloyd-led Wildcat team has.
Anthony Dell’Orso led the Wildcats in scoring, with the Australian recording a spectacular 22-point performance off the bench against one of the best defensive teams in the sport.
Brayden Burries leads a Wildcats offense that's scoring over 90 points per game. Burries is averaging 15 points, five rebounds and three assists per game himself. The freshman guard is unbelievably efficient with the ball in his hands, converting on over 50% of his field goal attempts.
Prior to suffering a muscle strain in his lower leg versus Texas Tech just over a week ago, Peat was scoring 14 points per game, along with over five rebounds.
Arizona ranks inside the top 10 in the country in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Lloyd’s offensive philosophy closely resembles that of Mark Few, with the Wildcats' head coach having previously served as an assistant coach at Gonzaga. Arizona loves to push the pace, with a high-octane, up-tempo style that thrives in transition.
The Wildcats frequently look to find shots early in the shot clock, but they also run some very intricate schemes in the half-court. Lloyd’s bunch uses quick-passing and great perimeter spacing to its advantage.
Arizona frequently operates its offense through the post, given the athleticism and scoring ability in its frontcourt. Lloyd often implements off-ball screens to create open looks for his highly skilled bigs in the post.
On the other end of the floor, the Wildcats' head coach values high effort and physicality above all else, also emphasizing the significance of winning the rebounding battle on the offensive glass.
Europeans Ivan Kharchenkov and 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas have been very effective rebounders for Lloyd this season and are two of the best rim protectors in the country, making it very difficult for opposing forwards to find clean looks inside the lane.
Per KenPom, the Wildcats boast the third-most efficient defense in college basketball, allowing just 68 points per game on that end of the floor.
Baylor Basketball
A disastrous season may get worse for the Bears on Tuesday.
Scott Drew’s bunch heads into this Big 12 contest with a 14-13 overall record, having dropped four of its last five contests. The Bears are in serious jeopardy of missing the Big Dance for the first time since 2018.
Leading the charge for a Baylor offense scoring nearly 85 points per game is Cameron Carr. Baylor’s sophomore guard is posting 19 points a night, while also recording six rebounds and three assists.
Carr is one of several very talented youngsters on the roster, with 6-foot-5 combo guard Tounde Yessoufou having a breakout season, as well. Yessoufou was a top-10 recruit and he's certainly lived up to the hype, scoring over 18 points per game.
Baylor’s standout freshman is extremely athletic and can score from anywhere on the floor, having just put up 37 points on BYU a couple of weeks ago. Yessoufou is extremely versatile and thrives on both ends of the floor.
Per KenPom, Baylor’s offense ranks inside the top 40 in the country in efficiency rating, which is rather surprising for a team posting a record not far above .500
While there's no doubt that the Bears boast elite athleticism and offensive firepower, they've largely struggled on the defensive end of the floor.
For a head coach who's built his entire career as a defensive mastermind, Baylor’s lack of defensive prowess is shocking. The Bears' defense is allowing over 76 points per game and ranks outside the top 100 in the country in defensive efficiency rating, per Haslametrics.
Arizona vs. Baylor Betting Analysis
The status of Arizona’s best on-ball defenders — Peat (questionable) and Aristode (out) — will be a major storyline heading into Tuesday.
The Wildcats just completely dominated a top-three team in the country for all 40 minutes in front of a hostile crowd, so that should be rather terrifying for the Bears.
While the Bears do have the athleticism to hang with a short-handed Wildcats team for at least some of this game, their continued defensive struggles versus far inferior offenses are very discouraging.
There's just no world where you can fade Arizona in this spot, even if Peat remains sidelined.
So, I'll be looking to approach this matchup in two different ways. First, I'll be backing the Cats to keep rolling while covering the spread on Tuesday.
Our Action PRO projections are showing value on this number, as well.
Also, I see value in backing Burries to exceed his point total after scoring just seven against Houston.
My Pick: Arizona -9.5 | Brayden Burries Over Points Prop
