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The Big 12 has proven to be one of the strongest conferences in college basketball this season, and the Kansas Jayhawks could take hold of it with a statement road win this week against the Oklahoma Sooners. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally and are among the best teams in a stacked conference.
The Jayhawks are atop the Big 12 with a 6-1 conference record and can really push Oklahoma down into the middle of the pack with a victory. However, the Sooners have a really good team and the home field advantage, so this should be an intriguing matchup.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, January 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. ET at the Lloyd Noble Center. This game will be broadcast on ESPN.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Kansas is 16-3 straight up and 10-8 against the spread. The Jayhawks have covered in three of their four games on the road this season. Kansas has only been the underdog once this season. This spread should be small but it’s unknown if the Jayhawks will be the favorites or the underdog.
Oklahoma is 14-4 straight up and 8-10 against the spread. The Sooners have covered in five of nine tries at home. Oklahoma has hit the “over” of the scoring total in 13 of 18 games, which is something to keep in mind.
Key Stat
5. That’s the number of wins in a row Kansas has reeled off, but also the largest margin of victory in that span. The Jayhawks have been the masters of pulling out close wins of late and it has shot them into the top-10 nationally and to the penthouse in the conference standings.
The Jayhawks started this run with a four-point win over TCU and then beat Iowa State by five points. Kansas followed that up with a one-point win over Kansas State. The Jayhawks then picked up a huge win over No. 6 West Virginia by five points, and, most recently, knocked off Baylor by three points.
The games have been close but Kansas has knocked off two ranked teams in this stretch and re-established itself as the team to beat in the Big 12 after a shaky non-conference showing.
Player To Watch
Trae Young —The Oklahoma freshman guard has burst onto the scene. He has been one of the best players in the country this season. Young is averaging 30.5 points and 9.7 assists per contest. He is shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point range and adding 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest.
Young has erupted in two of the team’s past three games, scoring 43 points in a win over TCU and then 48 in an overtime loss to Oklahoma State last time out.
The NBA draft is shaping up to be a really talented group, and Young is playing so well that he is moving himself into lottery conversation. He is a player Kansas must keep in check. Young is going to get his points, but the Jayhawks are hoping he doesn’t shoot super efficiently from the field.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
This should be an excellent showdown. Kansas is playing at a high level again and could continue to remain on top of the conference with a win. However, the Sooners have proven to be a tough foe, even if they do come into this game off two straight losses.
The home court advantage is critical. Take the Sooners to capture this win, although it will be a close one. Oklahoma is averaging 91.6 points per game, which is second in the country, while Kansas can really score, too. Expect the scoring total to be quite high in this contest.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Oklahoma 87, Kansas 84
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