College Basketball Betting Picks: #8 Kansas vs. Kansas State in Big 12 action

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You can usually throw out the records in the Sunflower Showdown in college basketball as it is renewed on Monday night in Big 12 action with No. 8 Kansas visiting struggling but still dangerous Kansas State. The Jayhawks are solid favorites on the NCAAB odds. 2024 NCAA Basketball Betting & Expert Analysis #8 Kansas vs Kansas State | MyBookie Sportsbook Week 14 NCAAB

How to Bet Kansas at Kansas State NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

When: Monday, 9 PM ET
Where: Bramlage Coliseum
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAB Lines: Kansas -4.5 (total 145)

Last Season

The teams split last season, each winning at home. It was 83-82 in overtime in Manhattan for Kansas State. Wildcats star Senior Keyontae Johnson’s lob dunk from fellow senior Markquis Nowell with 25 seconds left in overtime proved to be the game-winner as K-State snapped a 7-game losing streak to its longtime rival in the 298th meeting and in the first top-15 matchup since 2013. Kansas had one last chance with 11 seconds remaining, but Ish Massoud was able to force Dajuan Harris, Jr., into a turnover on the baseline with only a few seconds left to preserve the victory. It was the 16th overtime game in the series history and the first since 2014. The Jayhawks hold a slight 9-7 lead in those in overtime games with the Wildcats winning the last 2 (2014, 2023).

Why Bet on Kansas?

No. 8 Kansas (18-4, 6-3) moved into a tie for first in the Big 12 with Houston by beating the No. 4 Cougars 78-65 on Saturday. Houston got out to a slow start as the Jayhawks opened a 23-11 lead. Johnny Furphy scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half to help Kansas take a 43-28 lead into the locker room. The Cougars, who lead the nation in field goal defense (35.5%) allowed Kansas to shoot 68% (17 of 25) in the first half. Houston had not allowed more than 30 points in a first half all season.

“I didn’t anticipate getting off to that good to start,” KU coach Bill Self said. “We thought the best way to attack them was to use all 50 feet wide and 47 feet long, and then hopefully be able to play behind their aggressiveness to start the game. We did that perfectly.”

Kansas extended its lead to 20 in the second half, but behind 17 straight points from LJ Cryer, Houston cut the lead down to 10 but could not get any closer. KU shot 68.9 percent (31-of-45) from the field overall. That was the highest percentage in a game since shooting 72.1 percent (44-of-61) vs. Niagara on Jan. 9, 1997. It was the highest percentage in a conference game since 69.6 percent vs. Missouri on Jan. 19, 1991 (32-of-46).

Under Self (2003-04), Kansas is 19-1 in Allen Fieldhouse when facing an opponent ranked higher than KU. Kansas has won 16 straight under that scenario beginning on Feb. 5, 2006. The 19-1 record includes a 14-0 mark against top-10 opponents and a 10-0 record against top-five opponents. Since Self’s first season, 2003-04, the Jayhawks are 24-4 against AP top-10 teams inside Allen Fieldhouse, 12-1 versus top-five opponents. Kansas’ 13-point margin of victory was its largest against an AP top-five ranked opponent since Feb. 27, 2021 vs. #2 Baylor.

Kansas dished out 20 assists. The Jayhawks have at least 20 assists in 12 games this season, which is the most in the country. KU leads the nation in assists per game at 20.7 and leads the Big 12 and is fourth nationally in field goal percentage at 50.9%

Senior Hunter Dickinson had a team-high 20 points on 9-of-15 (60.0 percent) shooting, eight rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes. Dickinson has scored at least 20 points in 10 games this season and 44 times in his career. He is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double. His 12 double-doubles lead the league and are sixth nationally.

Furphy finished with 17 points on 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) shooting, including three three-pointers, eight rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes. Furphy has scored in double figures in six-straight games and eight times this season.

Graduate-senior Kevin McCullar Jr. contributed 17 points on 7-of-8 (87.5 percent) shooting, seven rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes. Junior KJ Adams Jr. added 10 points, four rebounds and a career-high seven assists in 36 minutes. Adams has finished in double figures in nine-straight games and 18 times this season. Redshirt-senior Dajuan Harris Jr. surpassed 600 career assists and now has 601 in his career. Harris Jr. leads the Big 12 in assists per game at 6.9, which is eighth nationally.

As for Monday, the Jayhawks are 28-6 all-time at Bramlage Coliseum, but just 5-4 in their last nine games in Manhattan. “It doesn’t matter what the records are or what they’ve done. They’re going to play their butts off. They always do against us, especially over there,” Self said after Saturday’s win.

Why Bet on Kansas State?

Kansas State (14-8, 4-5) is not an NCAA Tournament team as things stand and enters on a four-game skid after losing 75-72 at Oklahoma State on Saturday. John-Michael Wright’s three-pointer with just over 19:00 to play snapped a 29-all tie, and the Cowboys played from in front the rest of the way.

Two weeks after squandering a 10-point second half lead, the Cowboys avoided a repeat performance by knocking down 59% of their shots over the final 20 minutes. Following Wright‘s basket, the OSU lead bounced between two and nine points the rest of the way. For the game, K-State shot 46.8% to OSU’s 44.1% and both sides made nine three-pointers. A 14-5 free throw advantage swung the game in the Cowboys’ favor. They knocked down 5-of-8 from the line over the last 2:00 to make a 70-66 lead stand up.

Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by senior Tylor Perry, who scored all 19 of his points in the second half, including 5 3-pointers. Junior Cam Carter scored 17 points on 7-of-12 field goals to go with team-highs in both assists (5) and steals (3).

The Wildcats have been led by the trio of returnee Cam Carter and transfers Arthur Kaluma (Creighton) and Perry (North Texas), who all average between 14 and 16 points per game. They are the only consistent scorers on the roster, and other teams have figured this out. Taking them away has been a top priority for opponents. That has left K-State often trying to win with defense.

K-State has lived life on the edge at times this year and throughout coach Jerome Tang’s tenure; at one point in nonconference play the Wildcats went to overtime four times in six games. But Tang remains 10-0 in the extra period as their coach, including the win over KU in Manhattan last year.

Over the past few weeks, the Wildcats have gone from first place in the Big 12 standings to below .500 in conference play. Not long ago, the NCAA Tournament felt like a lock. Now the NIT appears more likely. Tang decided to shake things up and go with a new lineup against the Cowboys. He moved senior forward Will McNair and junior wing David N’Guessan to the bench in favor of freshman guard Dai Dai Ames and sophomore forward Jerrell Colbert as the Wildcats went younger and smaller.

Defense has carried K-State so far in Big 12 play, allowing 66.8 points on 38.3 percent shooting, including 27.2 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank in the Big 12’s top-4 in several categories, including first in 3-point field goal percentage defense and second in field goal percentage defense and blocks (5.0 bpg.).

“We have got to figure out how we’re going to compete for 40 minutes,” Tang said after the OSU loss. “We have enough talent. They just kicked our butts to the 50/50 balls. That was a credit to Mike (Boynton) and his staff, getting those guys ready. They competed harder than we did at times. You can’t pick and choose. We’re not good enough to pick and choose when we’re going to compete and win games in this league.”

#8 Kansas vs. Kansas State Expert Prediction

Kansas 72, Kansas State 69

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