The TCU Horned Frogs have gotten off to a nice start but will be severely tested in their conference opener when the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks come to town. Kansas is one of the favorites to win the Big Ten but could be tested by the West Virginia Mountaineers and Baylor Bears.
The Jayhawks can’t afford too many losses in conference play and should be able to pick up this victory despite playing on the road. TCU may be undefeated at home this season but that record is in jeopardy against such a talented opponent.
At 9 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Friday, December 30, 2016, at the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
TCU is 11-1 straight up and 6-4 against the spread on the season. The Horned Frogs are 9-0 at home this season and have covered in five of seven games that have featured a spread. TCU has only been the underdog one time this year and failed to cover in that matchup.
Kansas is 11-1 straight up and 4-6 against the spread. The Jayhawks have only played in one road game this season and didn’t cover in it. Kansas is only 3-6 against the spread as the favorite thus far and will aim to do better while giving up points.
Key Stat
13. That’s how many consecutive conference titles Kansas will reach if it can win the Big 12 again this season. It is currently the highest-ranked team of the bunch, but there are a pair of worthy adversaries. Baylor is ranked No. 4 and is undefeated while West Virginia has also been impressive.
Kansas will have to play each of them twice later in the year, and that will likely decide conference supremacy. The Jayhawks can’t lose any of the easier games beforehand, and that includes this one. Even though TCU has a nice record, it doesn’t have the pedigree to hang with a team as good as Kansas.
The Jayhawks are averaging 86.6 points per game while allowing only 67.5 and haven’t lost since a season-opening defeat to Indiana. Frank Mason III leads the way by scoring 19.7 points per game while adding 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds, while Josh Jackson contributes 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Devonte’ Graham is also averaging in double figures on the season.
Player To Watch
Kenrich Williams - TCU has four players who average between 10 and 11 points per game, and Williams is arguably the best of the bunch. The junior guard is averaging 10.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, which is impressive on the glass for a player who is only 6-foot-7.
Williams struggled in the team’s only loss of the year, to Southern Methodist, and needs to play well in order for the Horned Frogs to be able to remain competitive. The team’s other players who average in double figures are Alex Robinson, Jaylen Fisher and Vladimir Brodziansky.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
TCU is off to a nice start but has not faced a team the caliber of Kansas yet this season. The Horned Frogs will attempt to keep this one close but doesn’t have the talent to win this one.
The Jayhawks have proven once again to be one of the best teams in the country. They will show that they are again the team to beat in Big 12 with a convincing win over TCU. The Jayhawks are angling for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and need to win as many games as possible to stay in that mix. They will do so in this one.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas 82, TCU 74
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