The good news for the Kansas Jayhawks is that they've still got a spotless record here at home at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The bad news is that they've lost three of their last five games after winning 14 of their first 15, and they're welcoming a very dangerous Kentucky Wildcats team to Lawrence on Saturday night.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
SCHEDULING
You can bet that the atmosphere for this game is going to be intense. This is going to have the feel of a Final Four game for both sides, as these are the teams both of these clubs are going to have to get past to cut down the nets in April.
Kansas probably has the slight upper hand in terms of the schedule. The Jayhawks will be resting at home for five straight days to get ready for this one after losing at Iowa State on Monday.
Kentucky meanwhile, has to play on Wednesday night before traveling out to Lawrence on Saturday.
KEY MATCHUP
Two years ago, Kansas and Kentucky met early on in the season. Many of these Jayhawks were around at that point, and though they were young, they were still considered incredibly talented. However, they just couldn't get anything going whatsoever from the field, scoring just 40 points, 12 of which came in a woeful second half.
Frank Mason shot 1-for-10 from the field. Wayne Selden was 4-for-12. Devonte' Graham didn't score in 14 minutes. Brannen Greene played five minutes, committed three fouls and turned the ball over twice.
Granted, these Wildcats aren't those Wildcats, but defensively, they've got the same sort of potential. Teams aren't stuck in the 40s against Kentucky as what used to be the case, but opponents are still shooting just 40.5 percent from the field and routinely have a hard time getting out of the 30s.
Live bettors will have to be aware of how fluid the Kansas offense is. The Big XII doesn't have a lot of these long, lanky and athletic teams like Kentucky is, and that could be a little shocking to the Jayhawks. Even though they're at home, if the Jayhawks can't figure out how to get some good looks at the basket early, live bettors should pounce, knowing that Kentucky could be in their heads for the remainder of the game.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
UK has been hit and miss all season long. The team has already been beaten by both LSU and Auburn on the road in SEC play, yet wins over Arkansas and Alabama by double-digits are reminders of just how talented John Calipari's crew is.
Calipari has been shortening his rotation quite a bit of late, and that's seemingly to help out. Skal Labissiere has been a complete disappointment, and he's really only being used in big defensive situations, while Marcus Lee is really getting all the minutes with Derek Willis and Alex Poythress on the inside. We already know that Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe and Jamal Murray aren't coming off the floor if their lives depended on it, especially in a game like this one, so live bettors will want to watch and make sure they aren't getting fatigued.
The tell for live bettors for Kansas in this game is going to be points allowed. It's not to say that the Jayhawks can't win a game in which they allow in the high-70s, but they haven’t really done so this year against major competition. Michigan State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and Oklahoma all scored at least 74 points against the Jayhawks this year, and all five games ended in ATS losses.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go.
Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The showdown between the Kentucky Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks will start at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 30, 2016, at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
