Monday CBB Best Bets Feb. 2: Will Kansas take down Texas Tech?

There are two top-25 matchups in college hoops tonight and our Monday CBB Best Bets Feb. 2 column examines each game while offering three picks total. Will both games turn high-scoring? Is Kansas a good bet to keep pace with Texas Tech as a road underdog?

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CBB Best Bet: Syracuse at North Carolina, 7PM

Game Info:
📅 Date: Monday, Feb. 2, 2026
📍 Dean E. Smith Center — Chapel Hill, NC
⏰ 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The Orange (≈13–9, 4–5 ACC) hit Chapel Hill off a statement offensive performance vs. Notre Dame, where backcourt duo Nate Kingz and J.J. Starling combined for 49 points and Syracuse shot efficiently from deep en route to an 86–72 win. Kingz put up a career-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting, and point guard Naithan George was masterful with 10 assists and zero turnovers.

Meanwhile UNC (≈17–4, 5–3 ACC) brings momentum of its own, riding a three-game winning streak after a 91–75 victory at Georgia Tech in which Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar each scored 20+ and the Tar Heels pounded the offensive glass for 20 second-chance points.

Why OVER 156.5 makes sense:

UNC scores in bunches — averaging roughly 83 points per game — and shoots efficiently inside the arc.
Syracuse’s offensive resurgence and willingness to push the pace could stretch this into a back-and-forth affair. Syracuse puts up nearly 76 points per game while UNC allows around 70 points defensively.
Recent Syracuse defensive slip (four straight losses prior to the Notre Dame bounce-back) suggests points are available if UNC gets hot early.

Projected Score: UNC 85, Syracuse 74 — Total: 159

CBB Best Bet: Kansas at Texas Tech, 9:00PM

Game Info:
📅 Date: Monday, Feb. 2, 2026
📍 United Supermarkets Arena — Lubbock, TX
⏰ 9:00 p.m. ET

This Big 12 tilt features two staple contenders streaking in opposite directions. Kansas enters off its fifth straight win, including a 90–82 victory over BYU that saw Bryson Tiller post a career-high 21 points.

Texas Tech — also 16–5 (≈6–2 Big 12) — is strong at home (undefeated on the Lubbock floor). After a tough road loss at UCF, the Red Raiders look to rebound and reclaim rhythm behind dynamic forward JT Toppin (~21.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG) and facilitator Christian Anderson (~7+ assists).

Why OVER 154 fits:

Both clubs can score. Texas Tech ranks in the upper tier nationally in offensive efficiency, while Kansas averages close to 79 points per game and controls the glass fairly well.
The combined tempo (slightly above average for Big 12) should afford enough possessions for both teams to get into the 70s. Between Texas Tech’s 80+ scoring ability and Kansas’s clubbing defense that still yields points in transition, a 75+/80+ game from both sides is very plausible.

Why Texas Tech −4.5:

Home court is a real edge: they’re unbeaten at home, while Kansas has shown vulnerability on the road.
Texas Tech’s rebounding and balanced scoring make them slightly more capable of sustaining pressure through four quarters.
The spread at ~4.5 squares well with analytics — efficiency data and tempo suggest Texas Tech’s home advantage gives them an edge in a tight Big 12 matchup.

Projected Score: Texas Tech 84, Kansas 75