Kansas survived a home scare last time out against Kansas State but should be a heavy favorite to win this one. The Jayhawks are one of the best teams in the country and they will have the benefit of the home court advantage, which should result in a victory.
At 7:15 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Texas Tech is 12-2 straight up and 6-5 against the spread on the season. The Red Raiders have played in two true road games this year and have covered in one of them. They have been the underdog twice and have also covered the spread once in that scenario.
Kansas is 13-1 straight up but only 4-8 against the spread as the Jayhawks are so good that they normally need to blow out opponents in order to cover. Kansas has only covered one time in five home games. The Jayhawks are 3-8 against the spread as the favorite.
Player to Watch
Frank Mason III – The senior starting point guard at Kansas is leading the team in scoring this season, averaging 19.5 points a game. He had 15 points in the win over Kansas State on January 3rd.
Mason has scored a season- and career-high 30 points twice this season and has scored 20-plus points in seven games this season. The 22-year-old is also averaging 4.4 rebounds a game and 5.8 assists.
Mason averaged 12.9 points a game as a sophomore and has shown a lot of improvement this season. The senior has twice been named to the All-Big 12 Second Team in his career and has certainly established himself as an even stronger leader on the court this season.
Key Stat
61.1. That’s how many points per game this stout Texas Tech defense is allowing this year. The Red Raiders face another big test this weekend, however, taking on a Kansas offense that is putting up 86.8 points a game.
Texas Tech’s defense answered the call against No. 7 West Virginia on Tuesday, holding the fifth-ranked Mountaineers who are averaging 90.7 points per game, to just 76 points in the win. The Red Raiders have held the majority of their opponents to less than 70 points this season, although the second half of their schedule is much tougher.
Kansas, on the other hand, put up 90 points in the team’s most recent win over rival Kansas State and scored 86 in the win against TCU before that. This game features a contrasting of styles and it will be interesting to see which one wins out.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
While Texas Tech is riding high after the recent upset and Kansas hasn’t done great against the spread, the Jayhawks are just too talented. This may have been a tricky one if it was on the road but Kansas will play off its crowd and jump out to a quick lead and cruise to the victory.
The Red Raiders are a good team, but Kansas has elite talent. The Jayhawks will not only win this one but also cover in a contest that won’t give them a lot of trouble.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas 85, Texas Tech 71
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