A good one is set to go down in the Phog early Saturday evening when John Calipari’s No. 12 ranked Kentucky Wildcats square off against Bill Self’s No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks in one of the premiere matchups set to go down on Saturday’s loaded college basketball betting slate. Both teams enter this tilt fresh off overtime wins and non-covers at online sportsbooks. Kentucky was able to avoid falling to Iverson Molinar and the Mississippi State Bulldogs, but failed to cover the 9.5-point spread in the 82-74 triumph. As for KU, Bryson Williams’s career-high 33 points allowed for the Texas Tech Red Raiders to give them all they could ask for and more before ultimately falling 94-91 as 7.5-point underdogs in double overtime. Though fatigue could play a role in the third meeting in as many seasons between these blue blood programs, you can’t help but think a heavy dose of adrenaline supersedes that playing on the hallowed grounds of Lawrence’s infamous basketball cathedral with the nation taking it all in live.
Take this SEC/Big 12 battle in live on ESPN at 6 p.m. ET from the Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, January 29, 2022. BookMaker.eu will have NCAA basketball odds available for this and every game lined up for Saturday’s loaded college basketball schedule.
College Basketball Betting at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Kansas has owned the recent rivalry with Kentucky. Dating back to the 2015-16 season, it’s come out on top in four of the five overall played skirmishes. However, it only managed to cover the closing CBB odds twice with KY Jelly taking a three-game ATS winning streak into this tilt after covering as 4-point dogs in last year’s 65-62 defeat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. This will be a huge test for the Wildcats who’ve dominated at home (14-0), but managed just two wins through five tries on the true road (1-4 ATS). As for Kansas, it stands unblemished in front of the hometown faithful at 9-0, but only stands 4-5 ATS in those games. Two of its last three home wins came against Iowa State and Texas Tech by an average of just 2.0 points per game while laying an average of 10.5-points.
Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats were forced to go at Hail State without the services of Tyty Washington Jr. who missed the game due to a sprained ankle. His 13.6 points and over 4.0 assists per game were sorely missed as good a game the Dawgs ultimately ended up giving them. In his absence, Oscar Tshiebwe took his game to the next level with a team-high 21 points and 22 rebounds. He helped pace the team throughout, but it was Kellan Grady’s ability to convert from deep in the extra session that allowed for the Wildcats to avoid the undermanned upset. The team shot 47 percent from the field overall and dominated the rebounding battle winning it 42-30. It likely would’ve cruised to the win and cover had it not allowed Molnar to go off for 30 points without a single one of his points coming from beyond the arc.
Kansas Jayhawks
Since dropping a 75-67 decision to Texas Tech as 7-point Lubbock favorites back on January 8, Kansas has rattled off five straight wins against Iowa State, West Virginia, Oklahoma, K-State and the Red Raiders in Monday’s rematch. Unfortunately, the success hasn’t translated into the Jayhawks adding to their wagering supporter’s bankrolls evidenced by them managing just one point spread cover during that stretch. Though Ochai Agbaji did everything he possibly could to get KU backers in the winner’s circle on Monday night with a career-high 37 points on 13-of-23 shooting, it still proved to not be enough with the team still barely outlasting Texas Tech 94-91 in double overtime. Due to allowing the Red Raiders to go on an 11-3 run to close regulation time, it failed to cover the 7.5-point spread. The ATS loss moved KU to a sickening 3-7 ATS over its last 10 games.
Kentucky at Kansas Betting Prediction
I remember last year’s matchup between Kentucky and Kansas vividly. I hammered the Jayhawks -1 at the open knowing full well Calipari’s kids simply weren’t ready or cohesive enough to take on Self’s more experienced lineup. Even so, Kansas struggled to put the Wildcats away in a game it ended up closing as two possession favorites. If you got in early, you covered. If you got in late, you didn’t. This time around, I feel the Wildcats are more than ready to go into the Phog and give my beloved Jayhawks a major run for their money. These teams matchup incredibly well with one another. Ultimately, it’ll be the Jayhawks ability to make hay from deep and the Wildcats ability to dominate the paint that leads either team to victory. Until Jalen Wilson starts playing a consistent brand of ball to give Agbaji the complementary scoring needed to back his game, I can’t lay points with the Jayhawks. If Tshiebwe is able to stay out of foul trouble and get both David McCormack and Mitch Lightfoot into foul trouble themselves, there won’t be anything Kansas will be able to do to prevent him from going off down low. Kansas will be laying between 3-5 points in this matchup, but I feel the scenario is ripe for an upset. Tyty returning to the lineup would only bolster my belief that KY Jelly wins this one outright!
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!
