Even though the Big 12 is the toughest it has been in years, the Kansas Jayhawks have still found a way to be on top of the conference. Kansas is 6-2 in Big 12 play, but it hasn’t been easy. The Jayhawks have had to work for every win, failing to beat any conference opponent by more than six points. Kansas’ struggles have been enough to worry its fans, who are even offering to help the team practice their free throws. If the Jayhawks fall to the Kansas State Wildcats, they will be tied with a lot of conference foes at 6-3 in Big 12 play.
This war on the floor will go down Monday, January 29, 2018, at 9 p.m. ET at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas. The game will be televised live on ESPN. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Monday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Jayhawks have had some trouble scoring lately. The typically high-flying Jayhawks have had to rely on their defense to win games, and they have failed to crack 75 points in half their Big 12 games. That has been good news for under bettors. Under has cashed in each of Kansas’ last four games.
Kansas is not dominating the conference like it did in the past. The Jayhawks have failed to cover in four of their last five, and they are 3-5 ATS in Big 12 play.
Kansas State has looked like one of the top teams in the conference thus far. The Wildcats have been able to cover each of their last five games, and they were able to knock off both Oklahoma and Baylor as an underdog. It’s been a sharp contrast from how they started the year, as Kansas State was 3-9 ATS before this run.
Defense has played a big part in the Wildcats’ success. The under is 10-7 in Kansas State games and has cashed in five of the last seven.
Last Meeting
These two sides squared off recently in a relatively slow game. Kansas was able to edge its in-state rival late thanks to a pair of Malik Newman free throws, edging Kansas State 73-72 at home as a double-digit favorite.
The loss was a tough one to swallow for Kansas State, but it proved that the Wildcats can play with the team that has historically dominated their rivalry. These two teams had nearly identical stat lines with no side getting an advantage in any one area.
This time around, look for Kansas State to do a little bit more to try to stop Udoka Azubuike. Azubuike is the nation’s most efficient shooter, sinking 77.4 percent of his field goals. He went 8-9 from the floor against Kansas State a few weeks ago and was the team’s second-leading scorer.
However, Azubuike is one of the nation’s worst free throw shooters. He missed six straight free throws in a loss to Oklahoma earlier in the week and is hitting 37.5 percent from the line. With splits like those, it’s only a matter of time before teams employ the Hack-a-Shaq strategy with Azubuike.
Matchup to Watch
Kansas State is likely to be without Kamau Stokes again and that will test its bench. The Wildcats have a very shallow bench, with four players averaging 30 minutes-plus per game, and everyone else filling in as needed. Thus far, the bench has performed well, but playing two games in three days might test this team.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The Wildcats are going to be a very popular upset pick so they should be a short underdog in this one. Kansas State has proven it can hang with Kansas and will have a raucous home crowd welcoming the Jayhawks to the Little Apple. It might be square, but Kansas State is the right side here.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas State 77, Kansas 72
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