Now a full week removed from dropping a disappointing decision to Baylor that allowed the Bears to secure their first ever win at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, the No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks will be out to score a second straight road win when they invade the Lone Star State to take on the streaking Texas Longhorns. While it’s no doubt been a rough go of it for Shaka Smart since bolting VCU for Austin, this could be as good a spot as any for his kids to rattle off a third straight win against a top-ranked opponent. Bill Self’s squad could possibly without the services of Devon Dotson who sat last game out due to the injury sustained to his hip last Saturday. In order to come out triumphant at online sportsbooks and take a second straight at home against KU, the Horns offense must continue to play like it has throughout the win streak.
This Big 12 tussle will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2020. Tip-off will be at 2 p.m. ET from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN. So make sure to fill out your March Madness Bracket today!
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Odds Analysis
Now tied with West Virginia and TCU for second place in the Big 12, the Jayhawks bounced back from their first conference defeat by going on the road and taking care of business at Oklahoma. The Sooners lack of beef down low allowed for Udoka Azubuike to log his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds to go along with a trio of blocks. But it was Isaiah Moss who ended up stealing the spotlight filling in for the injured Dotson and going off for a team-high 20 points that included a solid 6 of 11 showing from beyond the arc. Per usual, KU’s defense was once again stellar in limiting the Sooners to a 31 percent showing from the field, and it went on to dominate the battle of the boards winning it 44-29. The win moved Kansas to 3-1 SU and ATS on the true road with the lone defeat coming at Villanova by a point.
Since dropping a tough 72-62 decision to the Oklahoma Sooners at home back on January 8, the Longhorns have rattled off successive wins over Kansas State at home and Oklahoma State on the road to get back on the winning track. The defense has been the primary reason for the turnaround in allowing an average of 57 points per game, but the offense has also recently rediscovered its shooting touch from long range. Against the Wildcats, Courtney Ramey led the charge in knocking down 3 of 5 attempts to lead Texas to a 10 of 23 showing. Then against the Cowboys, his 4 of 8 showing contributed to a stellar 15 of 32 effort to propel the Longhorns to the dominant 76-64 outright win and cover as 3.5-point underdogs. UT has won eight of nine in front of the hometown faithful and covered three of them against the closing CBB odds.
Matchup to Watch
The Longhorns have had all sorts of issues preventing all opposition from taking advantage of them on the interior. Entering this tilt against the Jayhawks, 55.8 percent of the points the defense concedes has come from 2-point range (No. 312). Kansas scores 56 percent of its points from that range (No. 41) which leads one to believe that Udoka is in line to have another monster game. In his two games against Texas back in 2018, the Jayhawks big man combined for 33 points and 21 rebounds! Though KU concedes less than a 30 percent success rate from deep (No. 45), the defense still gives up a good chunk of points to opposing sharpshooters. OU managed to knock down eight 3 balls on Tuesday night against a Kansas defense that allows nearly 40 percent of the points scored against it to come from the land of 3 (No. 346). As hot Texas currently is shooting from beyond the arc, it might prove to be their only saving grace in this matchup.
Prediction
I called for Baylor to give Kansas all they could ask for and more in last Saturday’s matchup in the Phog. I also predicted it would be a rock fest; both predictions rang true! Though the Jayhawks and Longhorns work slowly with the former ranked No. 234 in adjusted tempo and the latter No. 275, I foresee some points hitting the board in this one. The Horns will no doubt be sky-high winners of two straight and in good offensive form; especially from deep. On the flipside, Kansas has partaken in six straight grinders only twice scoring 70 points or more, but I expect their bigs to eat all game long. While both teams rate out tremendously at the defensive end of the court, each offense will have the ability to take advantage of their opponent’s weak link defensively. For Texas, that’s interior defense. For Kansas, it’s being charitable around the perimeter. Add it all up, and I foresee the combined score squeaking past what’s likely to be a suppressed total put out by linemakers at online sportsbooks. If Dotson is a go, even better!
College Basketball Pick: Kansas 72, Texas 69
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