Big 12 Tournament 2020: Bracket Seeds, Odds, Matchups and Predictions

Most of the focus on the Big 12 tournament will be on the Kansas Jayhawks and Baylor Bears because of their fantastic seasons. 

Before the top two seeds hit the floor in Kansas City, though, one of the most important games to the NCAA men's basketball tournament bubble occurs. 

The Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders open the quarterfinals Thursday in what could be an elimination game depending on how the selection committee views each resume. 

The prize for the winner of that contest is a potential semifinal matchup with Kansas, which could work wonders for a team sheet if an upset happens. 

Kansas and Baylor are still expected to meet in Saturday's final, but if you focus just on the two of them, you will be missing the drama that may alter the field of 68. 

Big 12 Tournament Bracket

Big 12 Tournament Odds

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook.

Kansas (-150; bet $150 to win $100)

Baylor (+280; bet $100 to win $280) 

Texas Tech (+500)

West Virginia (+900) 

Oklahoma (+2,000)

Texas (+4,500)

Oklahoma State (+7,500)

TCU (+10,000)

Iowa State (+40,000)

Kansas State (+40,000)

Predictions

Texas Outlasts Texas Tech, Secures NCAA Tournament Bid

Texas has gone from a disappointing team with a coach potentially on the hot seat to the NCAA tournament bubble in a few weeks. 

The Longhorns began conference play with losing streaks of three and four games, with the latter ending in a brutal defeat to the Iowa State Cyclones. 

Since February 19, however, Shaka Smart's team is 5-1 and has played well enough to earn the No. 4 seed in Kansas City. 

One of those wins occurred on the road at Texas Tech. The Longhorns also knocked off the West Virginia Mountaineers and Oklahoma Sooners in the contests before and after their trip to Lubbock, Texas. 

In the triumph over the Red Raiders, Texas shot 52.2 percent from the field compared to Texas Tech's 39.2 percent and made three more shots from beyond the arc.

Texas Tech's starters combined to shoot 15-for-41 in the loss, and if Texas limits the Red Raiders to a similar total Thursday, it should come out on top. 

At the moment, the Longhorns are listed on the "last four in" column by ESPN's Joe Lunardi, but CBS Sports' Jerry Palm has them as one of the first four out, along with Texas Tech. 

Lunardi has the Red Raiders on the last four byes list, but a loss to Texas would likely drop them down a rung.

Chris Beard's side comes into the Sprint Center with four straight losses, including back-to-back defeats to Kansas and Baylor. 

Even though Texas lost to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in its regular-season finale, it still comes in on better form. 

If the Longhorns again wreak havoc on Texas Tech's offense, it will set up a meeting with Kansas.

Udoka Azubuike Dominates For Kansas

Kansas center Udoka Azubuike is on an incredible run down low that should extend into Kansas City.

In the final week of the regular season, the senior produced 31 points and 14 rebounds versus the TCU Horned Frogs and a 15-point, 11-board outing versus Texas Tech. 

The 20-year-old is expected to clean up on the boards against either Iowa State or Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. 

In four meetings with the Cyclones and Cowboys, Azubuike produced 48 points and 37 rebounds. 

He was one rebound away from two double-doubles versus Texas, who would land a semifinal showdown with the Jayhawks if it beats Texas Tech.

If the bracket goes to chalk and Kansas faces Baylor in the final, Azubuike could be in line for more success, as he controlled his last meeting with the Bears by earning 23 points and 19 rebounds. 

In the February 22 win at the Ferrell Center, he also had three blocks and held Freddie Gillespie to 10 points. 

If he extends the dominance into the NCAA tournament, Azubuike could be the most important player to any program in the field of 68. 

He has the best field-goal percentage in Division I at 74.8, which is six percentage points better than his closest competitor. 

If he displays similar accuracy and cleans up on the glass on both sides of the court, few teams will have an answer for him over the next few weeks. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.