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NCAAB Betting News, Match-Ups and Trends For Monday 1/14/19

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(@shazman)
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Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 1/14/19

 
Posted : January 14, 2019 9:55 am
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Nebraska is 0-3 in Big 14 road games, losing by 7-2-9 points; they have a road win at Clemson. Huskers are 12-4 overall, vs schedule #30. Indiana lost its last two games after a 12-2 start; they are 2-0 in Big 14 home games, winning by 2-8 points. Hoosiers are 10-0 at home this season. Nebraska is 6-3 vs Indiana in Big 14 play; teams split four meetings played here. Huskers are 6-2 in last eight games as Big 14 road underdogs; Hoosiers are 13-10 in last 23 games as home favorites, 0-2 this year. Big 14 home favorites of 5 or fewer points are 2-7 vs spread.

Williamson (eye) sat out 2nd half at Florida St Saturday (check status). Duke won its last nine games, sneaking past FSU by 2; they’re 6-1 vs top 50 teams. Syracuse is 2-0 in true road games, winning at Ohio St/Notre Dame, but they split last six home games, losing to Ga Tech Saturday. Duke is 5-3 in its last eight games with Syracuse; Orange lost three of four visits here, losing by 6-19-16 points. Syracuse is 4-8 in its last dozen games as a road underdog; Duke is 7-3 in its last ten games as a home favorite. ACC double digit home favorites are 3-5 vs spread.

Trap game for Florida State, two days after 80-78 home loss to Duke. Seminoles are lost by 13 at Virginia, won by 11 at Tulane in their two true road games. Pitt is 2-4 vs top 100 teams, 1-2 in ACC games, losing by 6 at NC State Saturday, after beating Louisville in OT at home. Pitt is #350 experience team in country. FSU/Pitt split their six ACC meetings; Seminoles won two of three visits here. Last 2+ years, FSU is 0-5 as an ACC road favorite; Pitt is 4-7 in its last 11 games as a home underdog, 1-1 this year. ACC road favorites of 6 or fewer points are 3-1 vs spread.

Maryland/Wisconsin split their six Big 14 meetings; Badgers lost two of their three visits here. Underdogs are 4-2 vs spread in series games. Wisconsin lost three of last four games after an OT loss to Purdue; Badgers are shooting only 54.4% on line in league, but 38% on arc. Maryland won its last five games; Terps are 3-0 in Big 14 home games, winning by 7-2-3 points. Wisconsin is 5-3 in its last eight games as a road underdog; Terps are 6-3 in last nine games as a home favorite. Big 14 home favorites of 5 or fewer points are 2-7 vs spread.

Kansas won its last nine games with Texas, which lost its last seven visits to Lawrence, with six losses by 9+ points. Longhorns lost its last two games, scoring 58-62 points; they split pair of true road games, winning at K-State, losing by 3 at Oklahoma St. Jayhawks won four of its last five games, winning first two Big X home games, by 7-9 points. Under Smart, Texas is 13-11 as Big X road underdogs; Kansas is 6-14 in its last 20 games as home favorites, 1-1 this year. Big X home favorites of 7+ points are 0-5-1 vs spread this season.

Baylor won its last six games with Oklahoma State, winning last three visits here, by 4-3-11 points. Favorites covered four of last six series games. Bears are 1-2 in Big X and lost one of best players (Clark) for season; they lost two of three true road games. Cowboys are 4-6 in last ten games, but split their first four Big X games. State are shooting only 42% inside arc in league games. Bears are 12-7 in last 19 games as road underdogs; OSU is 4-7 in its last 11 games as a home favorite. Big X home favorites of fewer than 5 points are 1-3 vs spread.

Monmouth won eight of last nine games with Siena, winning last meeting in triple OT; Hawks won four of last five series games played here. Monmouth is 3-2 in its last five games after an 0-12 start; Hawks lost their two MAAC road games by 19-6 points. Siena lost four of its last six games overall; Saints lost four of their six home games this season.- they’re 1-2 in MAAC. Monmouth is 1-6 in last seven games as a road underdog, 0-2 this year; Saints are 3-9 in last 12 games as home favorites, 0-1 this year. MAAC home favorites are 9-7 vs spread this season.

Montana State won its last three games, is 4-1 in Big Sky, 2-0 at home, winning by 14-10 points; Bobcats are 6-3 vs teams ranked outside top 200. Northern Colorado won four of first five Sun Belt games but got waxed at home by Montana Saturday. MSU won three of last four games with NCU; Bears lost their last three visits here, by 18-15-7 points. MSU is 5-3 in its last eight games as a home underdog; Northern is 3-4 in its last seven games as road favorites, but they’re 2-0 this year. Big Sky road favorites of less than 5 points are 4-1 vs spread.

 
Posted : January 14, 2019 9:57 am
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NCAA Basketball Totals Picks Expert Over Under The Total Predictions 1/14/2019

Date 14th Jan 2019
Allen Moody

We moved to 2-3 with the college totals Sunday, sneaking in under the first half total in Oregon, and unlike full game wagers, many of your wagers will be decided by a basket or two. One of the drawbacks to first half totals is that they’re not posted until later in the day, which makes it a bit tough for our purposes here, so we’ll estimate lines if we have to, as I try to have everything up by 8 a.m. PST.

I did create a first half model, with today’s games shown below, but am wondering if I should account for home and away performances a little bit more, as these numbers are based on overall scoring with a two-point adjustment made for home court, where a point is subtracted from the away team’s projection and one added to the home team, so as to not interfere with the total.

36 Nebraska
32 Indiana

28 Syracuse
40 Duke

35 Florida State
34 Pittsburgh

31 Wisconsin
31 Maryland

31 Texas
36 Kansas

26 Baylor
34 Oak State

29 Monmouth
27 Siena

41 Northern Colorado
37 Montana State

For comparison, here are the projections using solely home and away performances:

31 Nebraska
40 Indiana

23 Syracuse
49 Duke

30 Florida State
34 Pittsburgh

29 Wisconsin
30 Maryland

29 Texas
39 Kansas

21 Baylor
39 Oak State

29 Monmouth
36 Siena

35 Northern Colorado
41 Montana State

Some pretty big differences there, not only in the total projections, where we see changes of up to nine points in the Monmouth game, but look at sides, where the Hoosiers go from being projected to trail by four points to being ahead by nine, while Duke goes from being up 12 at the break to being ahead by 26.

I’d probably be inclined to give more weight to the overall projections, as the home and away numbers don’t incorporate strictly home and away AOPR figures and teams can load up against weak foes at home, while the smaller schools may go on the road against tougher foes to collect a decent paycheck and take a beating for the money.

The general rule of thumb for first half totals is that they’re about four points less than half of the game total. If a full game total is 140, we’d expect to see close to a 66 for the first half. Using that premise, here’s what we can expect the first-half totals for Monday to come out pretty close to:

Nebraska at Indiana: 68
Syracuse at Duke: No line out
Florida State at Pittsburgh: 67
Wisconsin at Maryland: 64
Texas at Kansas: 65.5
Baylor at Oklahoma State: 62.5
Monmouth at Siena: 61
Northern Colorado at Montana State: 74.5

Wisconsin at Maryland: Maryland has played seven straight overs, so this one came out at 136.5, giving us pretty close to a first half total of 64, although a 63 wouldn’t be a huge surprise. Both projections are calling for fewer points and the last three games these two have played have seen 54, 56 and 60 points at the half, so will take under in the first half in this one as long as we’re getting a 63 or higher.

 
Posted : January 14, 2019 11:13 am
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Big Monday Tip Sheet
David Schwab

The third week of January kicks things off with a trio of great matchups this Monday night across the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12. As part of ESPN’s Big Monday, Syracuse will be on the road against Duke as the first featured game of the night.

A little later on FOX Sports 1, Wisconsin takes on Maryland in College Park. The night’s action on ESPN wraps up with Texas squaring off against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.

Syracuse Orange at No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: No Overnight

Betting Matchup

Syracuse is coming off Saturday’s 73-59 loss to Georgia tech as a nine-point home favorite. This snapped a four-game winning streak both straight-up and against the spread. The total went OVER 129 points in that loss after staying UNDER in nine of its previous 11 games. The Orange are 11-5 SU and 8-8 ATS overall with a 2-1 record (SU and ATS) in early ACC play. Syracuse is averaging 70.2 points per game while holding opposing teams to 61.7 PPG.

The Blue Devils squeezed past Florida State 80-78 with a last-second three-point shot on Saturday, but the big story for Monday night could be the playing status of freshman phenom Zion Williamson. He missed the second half of that game due to an eye injury. Duke failed to cover against the Seminoles as a 7 ½-point road favorite and the total ended as a PUSH on a closing line of 158 points. This was the first time Duke (14-1 SU, 10-5 ATS) failed to cover in its last six games.

Betting Trends

-- The Orange are 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games and the total has gone OVER in five of their last six Monday games.

-- The Blue Devils have gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games on Monday and the total has stayed UNDER in eight of their last 12 ACC games.

-- The home team is 4-1 SU in the last five meetings with Syracuse holding the slight 3-2 edge ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in four of the last five meetings at Duke.

Wisconsin Badgers at Maryland Terrapins (FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Maryland -3, Total 136 ½

Betting Matchup

With Friday’s 84-80 overtime loss to Purdue at home as a three-point favorite, Wisconsin has lost three of its last four games both SU and ATS. It is 3-2 SU (2-3 ATS) in the Big Ten with the total staying UNDER in three of those five games. The Badgers (11-5 SU, 8-8 ATS) have failed to cover in seven of their last 11 games. Senior forward Ethan Happ leads the team in scoring with 20.0 points per game and he put up 31 in Friday’s loss after scoring 22 points in his previous game against Penn State.

Maryland moved to 5-1 SU in conference play with Friday night’s 78-75 victory against Indiana. The Terrapins failed to cover as five-point home favorites and the total went OVER 143 ½ points. They are 4-2 ATS in those six Big Ten games and the total has gone OVER in their last seven outings overall. Maryland has scored at least 74 points in each of those last seven games while allowing an average of 70 points during this same span.

Betting Trends

-- The Badgers have covered in 10 of their last 12 road games and the total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six games following a SU loss.

-- The Terrapins are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home games with the total going OVER in all five contests.

-- The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in the last four meetings at Maryland.

Texas Longhorns at No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Kansas -8, Total 139 ½

Betting Matchup

Texas has lost its last two games SU and ATS closing as favorites against Oklahoma State on the road and Texas Tech at home. It is an even 3-3 SU (2-4 ATS) in its last six games as part of a 10-6 (6-10 ATS) record overall. The Longhorns opened play in the Big 12 on Jan. 2 with a 67-47 romp over Kansas State as slight two-point road underdogs. They are 3-1 ATS this season when closing as underdogs. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games.

With Saturday’s 73-68 victory against Baylor as a 4 ½-point road favorite, Kansas is 3-1 SU (2-2 ATS) in early conference play. The Jayhawks lost to Iowa State 77-60 as 2 ½-point road underdogs on Jan. 5. They are 14-2 SU overall with an even 8-8 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in 10 of the 16 games. Junior forward Dedric Lawson is Kansas’s leading scorer with 19.3 PPG and he recently posted 31 points in a win against TCU.

Betting Trends

-- The Longhorns are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last nine games when failing to cover in their previous contest.

-- The Jayhawks have failed to cover in five of their last seven games coming off a SU win. The total has gone OVER in 16 of their last 24 games following a SU win.

-- Texas has covered in its last four road games against the Jayhawks and the total has stayed UNDER in six of the last seven meetings at Kansas.
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Posted : January 14, 2019 12:11 pm
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NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, January 14

NEBRASKA (12 - 4) at INDIANA (12 - 4) - 1/14/2019, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEBRASKA is 98-134 ATS (-49.4 Units) in road games since 1997.
NEBRASKA is 98-134 ATS (-49.4 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
NEBRASKA is 84-114 ATS (-41.4 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
INDIANA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
INDIANA is 45-23 ATS (+19.7 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
NEBRASKA is 31-13 ATS (+16.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 31-13 ATS (+16.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEBRASKA is 2-0 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
NEBRASKA is 2-0 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SYRACUSE (11 - 5) at DUKE (14 - 1) - 1/14/2019, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SYRACUSE is 2-1 against the spread versus DUKE over the last 3 seasons
DUKE is 2-1 straight up against SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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FLORIDA ST (13 - 3) at PITTSBURGH (11 - 5) - 1/14/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA ST is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA ST is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in all lined games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-0 against the spread versus FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 1-1 straight up against FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WISCONSIN (11 - 5) at MARYLAND (14 - 3) - 1/14/2019, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARYLAND is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
MARYLAND is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
MARYLAND is 45-25 ATS (+17.5 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WISCONSIN is 3-0 against the spread versus MARYLAND over the last 3 seasons
WISCONSIN is 2-1 straight up against MARYLAND over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TEXAS (10 - 6) at KANSAS (14 - 2) - 1/14/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS is 2-2 against the spread versus TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
KANSAS is 4-0 straight up against TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BAYLOR (9 - 6) at OKLAHOMA ST (8 - 8) - 1/14/2019, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BAYLOR is 3-1 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA ST over the last 3 seasons
BAYLOR is 4-0 straight up against OKLAHOMA ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MONMOUTH (3 - 14) at SIENA (6 - 10) - 1/14/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONMOUTH is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SIENA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SIENA is 33-52 ATS (-24.2 Units) in home games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
SIENA is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SIENA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SIENA is 2-2 against the spread versus MONMOUTH over the last 3 seasons
MONMOUTH is 4-1 straight up against SIENA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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N COLORADO (10 - 6) at MONTANA ST (7 - 8) - 1/14/2019, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTANA ST is 2-1 against the spread versus N COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
MONTANA ST is 2-1 straight up against N COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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Posted : January 14, 2019 12:12 pm
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NCAAB

Monday, January 14

Trend Report

Nebraska @ Indiana
Nebraska
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Nebraska's last 8 games when playing Indiana
Nebraska is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Indiana
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games when playing Nebraska

Holy Cross @ Bucknell
Holy Cross
No trends to report
Bucknell
No trends to report

Syracuse @ Duke
Syracuse
Syracuse is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Syracuse is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Duke
Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Florida State @ Pittsburgh
Florida State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida State's last 5 games on the road
Florida State is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home

Johnson & Wales-RI @ Brown
Johnson & Wales-RI
No trends to report
Brown
Brown is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Brown is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

Monmouth @ Siena
Monmouth
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Monmouth's last 5 games on the road
Monmouth is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Siena
Siena
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Siena's last 5 games when playing at home against Monmouth
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Siena's last 7 games when playing Monmouth

North Carolina A&T @ Maryland-Eastern Shore
North Carolina A&T
No trends to report
Maryland-Eastern Shore
No trends to report

South Carolina State @ Coppin State
South Carolina State
No trends to report
Coppin State
No trends to report

North Carolina Central @ Delaware State
North Carolina Central
No trends to report
Delaware State
No trends to report

Morgan State @ Howard
Morgan State
No trends to report
Howard
No trends to report

Bethune-Cookman @ Norfolk State
Bethune-Cookman
No trends to report
Norfolk State
No trends to report

Wisconsin @ Maryland
Wisconsin
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wisconsin's last 5 games when playing Maryland
Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Maryland's last 5 games

Alabama A&M @ Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Alabama A&M
No trends to report
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
No trends to report

Alcorn State @ Grambling State
Alcorn State
No trends to report
Grambling State
No trends to report

Alabama State @ Mississippi Valley State
Alabama State
No trends to report
Mississippi Valley State
No trends to report

Southern @ Jackson State
Southern
No trends to report
Jackson State
No trends to report

Texas @ Kansas
Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games
Texas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

Baylor @ Oklahoma State
Baylor
Baylor is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baylor's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma State's last 5 games when playing Baylor
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Oklahoma State's last 9 games at home

Northern Colorado @ Montana State
Northern Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Northern Colorado's last 5 games when playing Montana State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Northern Colorado's last 5 games on the road
Montana State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montana State's last 5 games when playing Northern Colorado
Montana State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Northern Colorado
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Posted : January 14, 2019 12:13 pm
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by Kyle Markus

NCAA Basketball Game Preview- Texas Longhorns at Kansas Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks have been ridiculous in conference play the past couple of decades, capturing every single Big 12 Championship dating back to 2005. They will aim to keep that streak alive this year and are the favorites to do so again. Kansas dropped an early game but is still in second place with plenty of time to go.

The Jayhawks will be the heavy favorites to pick up another conference win this week against the Texas Longhorns. Kansas is the superior team and plays at home in this matchup so Texas will need to execute flawlessly to have a chance at pulling off the upset. The Longhorns do not seem to be on pace to make the NCAA Tournament but a win on the road against Kansas could get them in the conversation.

It is much easier said than done as the Jayhawks will aim to get ahead early in this one and cruise to the victory in NCAA basketball wagering.

This NCAA basketball game between the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks will be held at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, January 14th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NCAA basketball season.

Odds Analysis

Texas has a record of 10-6 on the season. The Longhorns got off to a surprising 2-0 start in Big 12 play but have fallen back with a pair of losses to Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, although both were close.

Kansas is an impressive 14-2 on the year, but one of its losses came on the road to Iowa State by a score of 77-60 in conference action. The Jayhawks shook that off by knocking off TCU and Baylor to improve to 3-1 in the Big 12.

Key Stat

63.9. That’s the number of points per game Texas is allowing on the season, which is in the top-30 nationally. The Longhorns would love to make this one a slowdown affair.

Kansas has the superior athletes and would prefer to get out and run, so it will be interesting to see if Texas can force its style in this one. The Longhorns’ best chance at pulling the upset seems to be by limiting possessions and milking the shot clock.

Texas held Kansas State to 47 points and West Virginia to 52 in its conference victories, so that is clearly the blueprint it will aim to follow.

Injury Report

Kansas big man Udoka Azubuike has a torn ligament in his hand that has ended his season. It was a big blow to the Jayhawks, as the junior center was averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Azubuike was shooting 71 percent from the field, and at 7-foot-1 was a big presence on the defensive end of the court, averaging 1.7 blocks per game.

The Jayhawks have other talented players but coordinated big men don’t grow on trees and Azubuike’s absence could loom large in the Big 12 race and in March Madness.

Texas has been a solid team in conference play, forcing others into a slow-down style. However, Kansas is at home in this one and should be able to get out and run after missed shots by the Longhorns.

The Jayhawks are the superior team and will be able to pull away in this one rather easily. Texas has looked solid in conference play but its talent deficiency will be on display here in NCAA basketball odds.

NCAA Basketball Pick: Kansas Jayhawks 72, Texas Longhorns 61

 
Posted : January 14, 2019 12:26 pm
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