College basketball: Predictions, odds for Creighton-Xavier, Iowa State-TCU, Kansas-Baylor

Saturday's mens' college basketball action features multiple crucial conference games for the top teams in the country.

The No. 19 Creighton Bluejays (16-7) head on the road to take on Big East foe Xavier (13-10) at 12:30 p.m. ET. Creighton's on a two-game losing streak with losses to Butler and Providence by a combined five points after a three-game winning streak. Xavier's rattled off three wins in a row after losing to No. 1 UConn (21-2) Jan. 28.

At 2:00 p.m. ET, a Big 12 conference showdown sees No. 14 Iowa State (17-5) hosting TCU (16-6). The two teams met in Fort Worth Jan. 20 with the Cyclones knocking off the Horned Frogs 73-72 in Iowa State's second win over a top-25 opponent this season. Iowa State's won three of four since then, including a win at home against No. 4 Kansas. TCU's rattled off three wins in four games since then as well, including wins over Baylor and No. 23 Texas Tech.

Men's college basketball: Kansas-Baylor clash in Big 12 headlines the biggest games this weekend

At 6:00 p.m. ET, the marquee matchup of the day sees the Kansas Jayhawks (18-5) host the No. 13 Baylor Bears (17-5) in a battle for the top spot in the Big 12 Conference. Kansas is fresh off its third loss in six games, this one an overtime loss to Kansas State on the road Monday. The Jayhawks are back home for a date with the Bears, the first of two regular-season matchups this year between the two teams. Baylor has consecutive wins over ranked teams - Iowa State and Texas Tech - in its last two games.

Here's the latest predictions for those games:

Men's college basketball: No. 19 Creighton vs. Xavier predictions

ESPN: Creighton has a 57.6% chance of winning on the road

Though they're playing in Cincinnati, ESPN's basketball power index (BPI) rates the Bluejays as the third-best team in the conference at 14.8 behind only Marquette (14.9) and UConn (16.6). That's much better than Xavier's 9.8, enough to overcome playing on the road.

Winners and Whiners: Creighton wins

Mark Ruelle says: "Creighton should have that kind of advantage over Xavier on the glass on Saturday. With an edge on the perimeter and a rebounding edge in the paint, I like Creighton to finish the season sweep of Xavier."

Stats Salt: Xavier wins

Craig Forde writes: "Creighton just got hot in the second half [of their last game] and dropped 47 points on them to pull away in what was just a two-point game with a little over five minutes to play. At home, expect the Musketeers to shoot much better at home where they average six points more than they do on the road."

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Men's college basketball: No. 14 Iowa State vs. TCU predictions

Doc's Sports: Iowa State wins

Matt Zemek writes: "The Cyclones will remember the fact that they led TCU by 19 points on the road a few weeks ago. They did allow the Horned Frogs to come back in that game, but they also built the huge lead. If they can simply play 40 minutes instead of only 30, they should win big... Iowa State is the better team, but this is a lot of points to give."

Winners and Whiners: TCU +6.5

Adam Rauzino says: "The TCU Horned Frogs have won three of their last four games and have no issues winning on the road. They have won their last two road games including an OT win against a ranked Baylor squad in late January. The Iowa State Cyclones just lost to Baylor last week."

Stats Salt: Iowa State -6.5

Trent Pruitt writes: "This is a high-leverage clash in the Big 12 on Saturday afternoon as Iowa State hosts TCU at Hilton Coliseum... The Cyclones bring in the fourth-best defense in the country, surrendering only 92.0 points per 100 possessions. This place is going to be rocking, and I don’t think the Frogs have enough offensive firepower to cover the spread."

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Men's college basketball: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Baylor predictions

Doc's Sports: Baylor wins

Josh Schonwald notes that the Jayhawks shot below their season average from the field and the free throw line in their last game, a loss to Kansas State. Baylor's defense is allowing opponents to shoot 45% from the field which is better than Kansas' average, offering opportunity for the Jayhawks offense.

Winners and Whiners: Kansas -6.5

Ben Hayes says: "Kansas is a different team at home as they are just 2-4 on the road this season. They are 12-0 at home and dominated Houston by 13 in a game that wasn't even that close. That loss on Monday to Kansas State wasn't shocking, because it came after the Houston win and they are not great on the road. They also have Dickinson, who is one of the best big men in the nation. Baylor has covered just two of their last seven games."

Bleacher Nation: Kansas 78, Baylor 73

Luis Escalante notes the Jayhawks, on average, win the rebounding battle by 4.4 rebounds per game and average five more points at home than on the road.

Men's college basketball: Odds, spread for Creighton-Xavier, Iowa State-TCU, Kansas-Baylor

The Musketeers, Cyclones, and Jayhawks are favored for wins, according to the BetMGM odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering betting promos in 2024.

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Creighton-Xavier

• Spread: Xavier (-1.5)

• Moneyline: n/a

• Over/under: 154.5

Iowa State-TCU

• Spread: Iowa State (-6.5)

• Moneyline: n/a

• Over/under: 143.5

Kansas-Baylor

• Spread: Kansas (-6.5)

• Moneyline: n/a

• Over/under: 149.5

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball picks Saturday: Iowa State-TCU, Kansas-Baylor, more