A rubber composition for a base tread which achieves improved steering stability and rolling resistance properties and a tire containing the same wherein the rubber composition includes a rubber component containing (a) 20 to 60% by weight of a polybutadiene rubber containing 2.5 to 20% by weight of a 1,2-syndiotactic polybutadiene crystal, (b) 5 to 80% by weight of a tin-modified polybutadiene rubber polymerized by a lithium initiator, in which the amount of a tin atom is 50 to 3000 ppm, the amount of a vinyl bond is 5 to 50% by weight and molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) is at most 2, and (c) 10 to 75% by weight of a rubber other than (a) and (b).