The Monday college basketball betting market features just one marquee matchup on the docket, but it’s a rivalry special.
No. 8 Kansas and No. 20 Texas have respectively moved up two and three slots in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, just in time to generate even more hype for this Big 12 showdown in Austin.
Are the Jayhawks ready to face their fifth straight ranked opponent tonight (not to mention the enhanced scrutiny as the now clear-cut favorite to win the Big 12 regular-season title)?
Or can the Longhorns close the gap in the conference standings and snag a huge home victory with roughly a month to go in the regular season?
Props.com breaks down the Monday college basketball betting odds for Kansas vs. Texas — a top-25 clash between the Big 12’s top scoring offense and the nation’s premier scoring defense.
Odds via DraftKings and updated as of 2:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 7.
No. 8 Kansas Vs No. 20 Texas
Tipoff/TV: 9 p.m. ET/ESPN
Kansas: 19-3 SU (8-1 Big 12)/10-12 ATS
Texas: 17-6 SU (6-4 Big 12)/10-13 ATS
Spread/Total: Kansas -1.5 (-115)/131
Last meeting: Texas outlasted Kansas 75-72 in overtime, pushing as a three-point home favorite (Feb. 23, 2001)
Did you know: The road team is 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 series meetings
About Kansas: After knocking off Texas Tech 94-91 in double overtime at home on Jan. 24, Kansas got blitzed by Kentucky 80-62 at home on Jan. 29. Last week, the Jayhawks bounced back with convincing Big 12 wins over Iowa State (70-61 as a 1.5-point road favorite) and Baylor (83-59 as a 2.5-point home chalk). Also, KU is just 4-6 SU in its last 10 road outings versus ranked opponents. Among Big 12 programs, the Jayhawks rank first in scoring offense (80.2 ppg, 19th nationally) and field-goal shooting (49.2%), second in 3-point proficiency (36.0%) and assists (16.4 per game), and third in 3-pointers made (7.4 per contest).
About Texas: The Longhorns have won four of their last five games, including Saturday’s 63-41 home rout of Iowa State, easily cashing in as a 9-point chalk. Texas owns the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense, allowing 54.9 points per outing. In fact, the ‘Horns have held nine of their last 14 opponents below that average. In conference play, Texas ranks fourth in 3-point proficiency (33.4%) and steals (8.4 per game), but just seventh in scoring offense (68.2 ppg).
What’s at Stake: Thanks to Saturday’s dominating win over the defending national champions, the Jayhawks lead second-place Baylor by 1.5 games in the Big 12 standings. Texas sits in fourth place, 2.5 games behind Kansas. Both teams are currently comfortable locks to make the NCAA Tournament, respectively rating 8th and 15th in the NCAA’s NET rankings.
Players To Watch
Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji nearly recorded his first double-double of the season in Saturday’s rout of Baylor, scoring 18 points and nabbing a season-best nine rebounds. The 6-foot-5 senior guard, who has scored in double figures in all 21 games, leads the Jayhawks in scoring (and ranks 13th nationally) at 20.8 points per game.
Texas guard Marcus Carr filled up the stat sheet against Iowa State on Saturday, delivering 14 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. The 6-foot-2 senior from Toronto has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games and ranks second on the Longhorns in scoring (11.1 ppg) and first in assists (3.5 per game).
Notable Trends
- Kansas has followed a 1-6 ATS slump with back-to-back spread covers
- Texas is 3-6 ATS in its last nine overall
- Kansas is 3-1 SU but 1-3 ATS in its last four road games (all in conference)
- Texas is 3-1 SU but 1-3 ATS in its last four at home
- Texas is 0-3 SU/ATS as an underdog this season
- Under is 3-0 in Kansas’ last three overall
- Over is 12-5 in Kansas’ last 17 on the road
- Under is 4-1 in Texas’ last five at home
- Last year’s two Kansas-Texas meetings went Over the total, ending a 4-0 Under streak in this rivalry
Kansas Vs Texas Odds and Action
UPDATE 8:45 P.M. ET: Shortly before tipoff, WynnBet has Kansas a 1.5-point favorite, after opening Texas -1.5 Sunday evening. The line went to pick late Sunday night, then to Jayhawks -1 this morning and Jayhawks -1.5 in the past hour. Kansas is collecting 85% of spread bets and 87% of spread dollars. The total fell from 134.5 to 131 by midmorning, then rose to 132 late this afternoon. The Over is drawing 58% of bets, while 53% of money is on the Under.
UPDATE 6 P.M. ET: Texas landed on DraftKings’ Monday college basketball betting board as a 1.5-point chalk, and the slim line has since jumped the fence a couple of times. Kansas has stuck at -1.5 since midmorning, with ticket count and money running 4/1 on the Jayhawks. The total tumbled from 135 to 131 (Over -120), with 53% of tickets/57% of money on the Over.
