Kansas vs. Texas Betting Line
The Kansas vs. Texas betting line for Saturday’s College Basketball had The Longhorns as a -3.5 home favorite at Sportsbook.ag.
Tip-off: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Texas -3.5
Two of the top teams in the Big 12 clash on Saturday as No. 11 Kansas travels to Austin to take on No. 17 Texas.
After losing 86-81 to Iowa State last Saturday, the Jayhawks responded with an 85-78 home victory against Oklahoma on Monday. In that game, Kansas (11-6 ATS, 9-6 OVER) blew a 20-point lead before rallying in the second half to get the win.
For the Longhorns (10-6 ATS, 7-3 UNDER), everything begins on the defensive end of the court where they hold teams to 56.3 PPG (14th in nation entering Friday) on 34.4% FG with 7.7 blocks per game (2nd in nation entering Friday). Texas has only lost two home games this season (9-2 SU, 4-5 ATS), but one of those was a 21-point defeat to Big 12 rival Oklahoma on Jan. 5.
Last season, these two teams faced each other twice, with the home team winning by double-digits both times. After the Longhorns rolled to an 81-69 win in Austin, the Jayhawks pummeled them 85-54 in Lawrence three weeks later. In Texas, the Longhorns punished Kansas with its physicality, as it got to the free-throw line 45 times, compared to only 19 attempts for Kansas, and Texas earned its first home win in this series since Feb. 11, 2008.
The Jayhawks are 2-2 (SU and ATS) on the road, including a 25-point loss at Temple on Dec. 22, but are 4-1 (SU and ATS) in Big 12 play. The Longhorns are 9-1 SU (6-3 ATS) with at least three days rest this season, and outscoring opponents by a hefty +16.0 PPG margin during this span.
With the bounce-back win against Oklahoma, the Jayhawks showed they are still going to be very difficult to knock off from the top of the Big 12. Kansas enters the weekend ranked 25th in the nation in rebounding (39.2 RPG), 77th in scoring (72.3 PPG), 83rd in assists (14.2 APG), but a subpar 177th in shooting (43.5% FG). The defense is adequate, allowing 64.9 PPG (150th in nation entering Sunday) on 40.9% FG.
Monday's win against Oklahoma was fueled by the play from the freshmen. SG Kelly Oubre Jr. (8.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 42% threes) and PF Cliff Alexander (8.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 57.3% FG) both played huge roles in the victory. Oubre scored a team-high 19 points and added nine rebounds and two steals, while Alexander contributed a double-double of 13 points and 13 boards (7 offensive). In the loss to Iowa State two days earlier, Alexander did not play in the second half because head coach Bill Self did not like his effort, and he sure responded on Monday.
PF Perry Ellis (12.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 39% threes) is starting to play like the veteran on the team, giving the Jayhawks a consistent player in the frontcourt. PG Frank Mason III (12.7 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.0 RPG) has been great the entire season, reaching double-figures in each of the past 15 games. The point guard matchup will be huge in this game, because when the two teams played in Austin last season, Isaiah Taylor was the best player on the floor.
For Texas to win this game, it must continue to defend hard every possession and control the glass like it has done all season, ranking fourth in the nation in total rebounds (42.8 RPG). The Longhorns offense ranks a pedestrian 123rd in the nation in scoring (69.9 PPG), 146th in assists (13.1 APG) and 163rd in shooting (43.8% FG).
Rick Barnes made the biggest splash late in the recruiting process last year when he signed PF Myles Turner (11.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 2.7 BPG) away from Kansas. Turner is one of the more skilled post players in college basketball, as he also shoots 41% threes and 88% free throws. He does a great job of stepping out and shooting, which opens up driving lanes for his teammates.
One of those guys is PG Isaiah Taylor (11.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.5 APG), who is back and healthy after missing a lot of games this season. In the home game against Kansas last season, he was unstoppable, finishing with a game-high 23 points. Taylor was able to get inside the lane at will, and those opportunities should be open this year because of Turner.
SF Jonathan Holmes (11.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 37% threes) is the guy the team relies on to make the big play down the stretch, as he has hit numerous game winning three-pointers in his career. Holmes also scored 22 points in last season's home win versus the Jayhawks.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
