Texas vs. Kansas Predictions, Odds

• January 2, 2021
• By David Schwab
• VegasInsider.com

Saturday’s college basketball betting board tips things off with a huge Big 12 showdown between the No. 8 Texas Longhorns and the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks. Game time at Allen Fieldhouse is set for 12 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2.

BETTING RESOURCES

• Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
• Conference: Big 12
• Venue: Allen Fieldhouse
• Location: Lawrence, Kansas
• Date: Saturday, January 2, 2021
• Time: 12:00 p.m.
• TV: ESPN2
• Bet: BetMGM | BetRivers | FanDuel | PointsBet |Best Sportsbooks

WHERE TO BET TEXAS-KANSAS

• Tennessee
• Indiana
• West Virginia
• Iowa
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• Nevada
• Colorado

Texas-Kansas Betting Odds

Line Movements

• Spread: Kansas -5
• Money-Line: Kansas -270 Texas +210
• Total: 136.5

Odds Subject to Change

Kansas has been opened as a -5-point home favorite for this battle of Top 10-ranked teams in the Big 12. The betting line for the total is 136.5 points.

The Longhorns have posted seven straight-up wins in eight games with the only loss coming against Villanova. They are 4-4 against the spread after failing to cover in three of their last four contests. The total has stayed UNDER in five of the last six games.

Texas has just one SU victory against Kansas in the last 14 meetings going back to 2014. It does have a slight 4-2 edge ATS in the last six matchups. The total has stayed UNDER in the last four games between the two.

The Longhorns are 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS in their previous six road games. The Jayhawks come off an extended 10-day break at 8-1 SU with an even 4-4 record ATS. They are 2-0 (SU and ATS) in Big 12 play with earlier victories against Texas Tech and West Virginia. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six outings.

Kansas extended its SU home winning streak to 13 games with the 79-65 win against West Virginia on Dec. 22. It is 6-7 ATS during that winning streak with the total staying UNDER in three of its last four home games.

Betting Analysis – Texas Longhorns

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 7-1
• ATS: 4-4
• SU - Home: 4-1
• SU - Away: 3-0
• O/U: 3-5

Texas opened conference play with a tight three-point win over Oklahoma State as a 6.5-point home favorite back on Dec. 20. Freshman forward Greg Brown scored 24 points with 14 rebounds to post his second-straight double-double.

Guards’ Matt Coleman III (13.9 points) and Courtney Ramey (13.1) are the team’s top two scorers on a roster that goes five deep with players scoring at least nine points per game.

The Longhorns are averaging 74.8 PPG while shooting 44.3% from the field. That number drops to just 32.8% from three-point range.

Texas continues to do a good job under the boards with 40.1 rebounds a game. Brown (7.5) leads the way in that department. The defense is allowing an average of 62.5 points a game.

Betting Analysis – Kansas Jayhawks

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 8-1
• ATS: 4-4
• SU - Home: 5-0
• SU - Away: 3-1
• O/U: 3-5

In the big win against West Virginia, guard Christian Braun and forward Jalen Wilson combined for 39 points to help pace the win. Thirty of those points were scored from three-point range.

Guard Ochai Agbaji is another big part of the Jayhawks’ early success with a team-high 14.8 PPG. He is shooting 45.1% from the field with the best shooting percentage (44.4) from outside the three-point line. Wilson is a close second with an average of 14.6 points while leading the team in rebounds (7.9).

Kansas is averaging 78.7 points with 42.9 rebounds a game. The team’s field-goal percentage is 44.0 while converting on 39.9% of its three-point attempts. Defensively, the Jayhawks are allowing an average of 66.1 PPG.

Inside the Stats – Texas Longhorns

• PS/G: 74.8 (141st)
• PA/G: 62.5 (42nd)
• Off Rtg: 107.6 (98th)
• Def Rtg: 89.9 (59th)

Inside the Stats – Kansas Jayhawks

• PS/G: 78.7 (80th)
• PA/G: 66.1 (96th)
• Off Rtg: 109.8 (65th)
• Def Rtg: 92.2 (99th)

Key Players to Watch

• TEX - Matt Coleman (13.9 PPG)
• TEX - Courtney Ramey (13.1 PPG)
• KU - Ochai Agbaji (14.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG)
• KU - Jalen Wilson (14.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG)

Texas-Kansas Predictions

Each of these teams is coming off an extended break so there may be some rust to work through in the first half. While Texas is worthy of its lofty ranking, its recent track record against its Big 12 rivals points to a tough afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse.

This should still be a highly entertaining matchup but my lean is with Kansas both SU and ATS. In a battle between two teams that can both score and defend, my lean on the total line is on the OVER in light of the posted line.

I may be bucking the recent betting trends but there is just too much combined firepower, especially from Kansas in three-point range.

• Score Prediction: Kansas 85 Texas 77
• Best Bets: OVER
• Best Bets: Kansas

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