Big 12 Tournament Betting Odds, Predictions & Favorites to Win 2025

• After a dominant regular season run, including securing a Big 12 regular season title in their first year in the conference, the Houston Cougars were upset by the Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 Tournament.

• The Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes, and Utah Utes will join the Big 12 for the 2024-25 regular season, adding even more competition to the nation’s best conference.

• Kansas currently (May 2024) has the best odds in the nation to win the 2025 National Championship after bringing in several key transfers and returning their core players, save Kevin McCullar Jr.

The Big 12 has been among the most challenging conferences for college basketball programs to play in the past decade. Before several competitive basketball programs emerged, the Kansas Jayhawks were running through their opponents. However, that is no longer the case, with new powerhouses like Houston, Iowa State, and Baylor continuing to make their presence known.

Additionally, the Big 12 will add four new members, including the Tommy Lloyd-led Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes, and Utah Utes. The arrival of these four programs further increases the difficulty level in the Big 12.

Further, despite Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC, the Big 12 will undoubtedly be one of the nation’s top conferences for college basketball. 

Which teams can have a dominant Big 12 regular season and propel their way forward toward a Big 12 Tournament championship? Let’s break down our favorite teams and their respective odds to run the conference table below!

Big 12 Tournament Betting Odds

Since the 2024-25 regular season has yet to start, Big 12 Tournament betting odds are unavailable. Usually, the betting odds are listed on most major sportsbooks a week or two leading up to the conference tournament. Once the odds are listed, we will post them below.

Favorites to Win the 2025 Big 12 Tournament

Houston Cougars 

Bad injury luck has kept the Houston Cougars from realizing their full potential in the past few seasons. For example, the Cougars made it to the Sweet 16 in last season’s NCAA Tournament but lost by three points to the Duke Blue Devils after star guard Jamal Shead went down with an injury and missed most of the game.

The Cougars will have to anoint a new leader this year, as Shead will depart for either the NBA or a professional overseas league. However, even with Shead’s departure, head coach Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars return plenty of talent to be competitive once again on a national level.

In fact, Houston returns five of its top seven scorers: L.J. Cryer, J’Wan Roberts, Terrance Arceneaux, Emanuel Sharp, and Ja’Vier Francis. Shead was an excellent two-way player and one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the nation, but Sampson has instilled an incredible defensive and rebounding culture in the program, so someone will step up and assume his role. One such player who could do just that is Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan. 

Uzan did a bit of everything for the Sooners, averaging 9.0 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.4 rebounds; however, he took a huge step back in shooting efficiency, dropping roughly 8% in field goal percentage and 10% in 3-point percentage year over year. Luckily, he has proven to be an efficient offensive asset and, under Sampson, could very well return to near-40% shooting from deep.

With Roberts and Francis back in the frontcourt again, the Cougars will undoubtedly be among the best rebounding teams in the nation. They also should be a top two defense, per KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric, with Iowa State being the only comparable team on that end of the floor. 

Houston’s size, length, physicality, and defensive IQ are hard to match; the Cougars will be a real threat this upcoming season on both the national and conference levels.

Bet on Houston Cougars at FanDuel

Iowa State Cyclones 

Speaking of the Devil, the Iowa State Cyclones are another elite team with plenty of returning talent. In fact, the Big 12 has four teams projected to be among the top five in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early College Basketball rankings article, including Iowa State, Kansas, Baylor, and Houston.

Iowa State finished the 2023-24 season ranked first in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. More importantly, the Cyclones secured a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a Big 12 Conference Tournament title.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger has completely turned this program around since he arrived in 2021. During the 2020-21 season, Iowa State had a 2-22 overall record and a 0-18 record in Big 12 play, but Otzelberger immediately flipped the program around 180 degrees in just one year. The Cyclones finished the following season with a 22-13 record and a Sweet 16 birth. 

Since then, Otzelberger has led the Cyclones to two more NCAA Tournaments, including another Sweet 16 this past season as a No. 2 seed. As mentioned above, the Cyclones will have several returners on the roster; their top four scorers, Tamin Lipsey, Curtis Jones, Keshon Gilbert, and Milan Momcilovic, will be back. 

Otzelberger also pulled in four transfers: Dishon Jackson (Charlotte), Joshua Jefferson (Saint Mary’s), Brandton Chatfield (Seattle), and Nate Heise (Northern Iowa). Jackson fills the large gap at the center position while Jefferson provides versatility at the forward position. Additionally, Jefferson transfers from a program (Saint Mary’s) that prioritizes defense, making him a perfect fit for an already impressive defensive unit.

The only potential Achilles heel for this team is on the offensive end of the floor. Against elite offensive teams, the Cyclones could come up short, similar to their Sweet 16 game against the Illinois Fighting Illini, when the best offense and best defense in the country went head-to-head. 

However, even a slight improvement on that end of the floor, particularly in road and neutral games, could result in the Cyclones being one of the two or three best teams in college basketball!

Bet on Iowa State Cyclones at FanDuel

Kansas Jayhawks

With A.J. Storr officially pulling his name out of the 2024 NBA Draft and transferring to Kansas, the Jayhawks will be the clear frontrunners to win another National Championship in the 2024-25 season.

Kansas was already going to be in the top tier of teams when it was announced that Hunter Dickinson, an early favorite for National Player of the Year, would return; however, Storr’s arrival simply puts the Jayhawks far ahead of any other team in the Big 12 and nationally.

Alongside Dickinson, the Jayhawks also bring back K.J. Adams Jr., Elmarko Jackson, and Dajuan Harris Jr. to join Storr (Wisconsin) and fellow transfers Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Rylan Griffen (Alabama).   

Head coach Bill Self also grabbed two highly-touted freshmen recruits, including five-star center Flory Bidunga, a physically and athletically gifted 6-foot-9 center. Bidunga will be one of the premier backups in the Big 12.

Self has not minded having top-heavy rosters in the past, but after a few seasons that ended earlier than expected due to injuries, he has decided to roll with more depth. That added depth will pay off in Big 12 play against other talented teams that will simply run out of gas at the end of games. 

The cohesion and chemistry between Dickinson, Adams, Harris, and Jackson, along with the added talent of Mayo, Storr, Bidunga, and Griffen, gives Kansas both a high floor and a high ceiling heading into the 2024-25 regular season.

In this new-look NIL era, Self has assembled one of the most talented rosters we have seen. Assuming that the Jayhawks have no more than a few small bumps in the road, they will be heavy favorites to win the Big 12 Conference Tournament and the NCAA Tournament!

Bet on Kansas Jayhawks at FanDuel

Baylor Bears

The fourth Big 12 team ranked in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings is the Baylor Bears. Head coach Scott Drew has figured out the formula that works best for his program: a 3-point-heavy team with versatile wings and athletic bigs. 

Last season, the Bears ranked fifth in 3-point percentage, shooting just below 40% from deep as a team. Their combination of high-percentage shots in and around the paint and open 3s resulted in them ranking sixth in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric. Still, this should come as no surprise as Drew’s past four teams have ranked in the top ten in “adjO.”

Since the Bears’ National Championship in 2021, their issues and shortcomings as a team have come on defense, as they have been unable to replicate the tenacity and efficiency on that end of the floor. During the 2023-24 campaign, Baylor consistently hovered in the 80s and 90s in adjusted defensive efficiency, which is nowhere near the caliber of defense required to win a championship. 

Still, we believe Drew can turn things around, and this new roster can help with that effort. The Bears are losing Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi to the 2024 NBA Draft, but they have a flurry of talent flying into Waco. Drew grabbed two of the most highly coveted transfers in the portal this season: veteran Duke guard Jeremy Roach and double-double monster Norchad Omier. Further, Drew found a way to land one of the best five-star recruits in the country, which was V.J. Edgecombe. 

Even if no players from Baylor’s 2023-24 squad returned, the Bears would still be a consensus top-25 team; however, they will also have Jayden Nunn (10.5 PPG, 43.9% from deep) and Langston Love (11.0 PPG, 48% from deep), two double-digit scorers and snipers from 3-point land.

Considering Roach is also fresh off a season in which he shot 42.9% from 3-point range, and Edgecombe and Omier are more than capable shooters, this Baylor team easily could finish first in 3-point percentage in the nation. Besides shooting, scoring, and playmaking, Roach will also bring intensity and could be the leader that the Bears need to improve on the defensive end of the floor.

Ultimately, don’t be shocked to see Baylor as a No. 1 seed entering the NCAA Tournament. And, of course, the Bears can contend for a Big 12 Conference Tournament title with their elite offensive attack and experience.

Bet on Baylor Bears at FanDuel

Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament - My Pick 

Kansas Jayhawks

Tthe Kansas Jayhawks have more than enough talent to run through the Big 12 Conference Tournament gauntlet. Kansas might have underperformed last season but the combination of returning players and added talent in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail makes the Jayhawks the team to beat. 

Kansas will have the best big man in the country in Hunter Dickinson, one of the five-best wings in A.J. Storr, and possibly the deepest backcourt with Rylan Griffen, Dajuan Harris Jr., Elmarko Jackson, and Zeke Mayo. The only thing that could beat this team is themselves, but don’t expect a team with this much cohesion and a Hall-of-Fame coach to fold.

Bet on Kansas Jayhawks at FanDuel

Who Won the Big 12 Tournament in 2024

The Iowa State Cyclones unexpectedly upset the top-ranked Houston Cougars to secure their sixth Big 12 Tournament Championship. With the Cyclones bringing back a ton of talent from their 2023-24 team, they will again be one of the favorites to win the Big 12 Tournament in 2025; however, they will have formidable opponents in the conference, including the Kansas Jayhawks, Houston Cougars, and others.

Big 12 Tournament History

The Big 12 Tournament was birthed right after (1997) the forming of the Big 12 Conference in 1996. Since 1997, the Big 12 Tournament has been held every year, with the Kansas Jayhawks holding a massive number of tournament titles (12).

While Kansas has the most Big 12 Tournament championships, Iowa State has an incredulous 6-0 record in the championship game, including the Cyclones’ championship win last season over the top-ranked Houston Cougars.

The Big 12 Tournament has been held primarily in Kansas City, Missouri, and will continue to be held there until at least 2031.

Past 15 Big 12 Tournament Winners

Below, we have listed out the past 15 Big 12 Tournament winners, including the Iowa State Cyclones, who upset No. 1 Houston to win the conference tournament last season. 

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the Big 12 Tournament

Name brand matters in the sports betting space, and companies like Caesars and BetMGM have leveraged their presence in the hospitality and entertainment industries to expand into the online sportsbook space.

Choosing a sportsbook is challenging, as numerous factors can alter your decision. This becomes especially true if you only want to create an account with one sportsbook. 

Here is a list of categories: welcome bonuses, user interface, navigability, odds, ongoing promotions, payment options, and withdrawal times. That is only the beginning, too.

Regardless, we have broken down a few of our favorite sportsbooks below, including their welcome bonuses, withdrawal times, and payment options. Take a look!

How to Read Big 12 Tournament Winner Odds

Once the Big 12 Tournament odds drop on sportsbooks, you can bet on the teams we have listed above as our favorites or any underdogs you believe can win. However, unless you can read the odds and understand them, they will not help you. Luckily, it is all fairly simple to understand. 

For example, if the Kansas Jayhawks are -120 to win the Big 12 Tournament, then that means they are a favorite, as any odds with a minus (-) sign in front of them imply that they have a greater than 50% chance of winning. In this case, you would have to bet $120 to win $100.

If a team like the Baylor Bears has +200 odds of winning the Big 12 Tournament, then a bettor would need only to bet $100 to win $200 for a total payout of $300. A plus (+) sign implies that a team has a less than 50% chance of winning, and the higher the number, the bigger of an underdog they are, as the payout obviously increases.