Texas A&M vs. Kansas Line at -19 Favoring Jayhawks

Written by:
Carrie Stroup
Published on:
Jan/23/2012
Texas A&M vs. Kansas Line at -19 Favoring Jayhawks

The Texas A&M vs. Kansas line was available at Sportsbook.com, which had the Aggies a huge 19 point underdog against the Jayhawks.  This is Carrie Stroup reporting for Gambling911.com and I also have a betting preview for the Syracuse Orange vs. Cincinnati Bearcats.  These games go off Monday night January 23, 2011.  Bet these games at Sportsbook.com here and receive up to $250 in FREE CASH.  Mention bonus code GAMBLING911.

Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Kansas -19 & 126

Opening Line & Total: Jayhawks -18.5 & 125

A struggling Texas A&M squad will travel to Allen Fieldhouse looking for a season-changing win against a surging Kansas squad seeking its 10th straight victory.   

Although the Aggies have had a difficult time in the Big 12 so far going just 2-4 SU, they are 4-2 ATS. Likewise, Kansas is 4-2 ATS in conference play so far, but differently, they are 6-0 SU. The reason Kansas should win easily is that nobody on the Texas A&M squad can match up with 6-foot-10 Thomas Robinson (17.7 PPG, 12.1 RPG). The Aggies’ two best rebounders are 6-foot-9 Ray Turner (6.4 RPG) and 6-foot-7 Khris Middleton (5.4 RPG) who both carry slender frames. In both of the Jayhawks’ ATS conference losses this season, they were outrebounded because the other team could fight with Robinson in the paint, something the Aggies will not be able to do.

The Aggies have a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging double-figures on a team that averages just 62.8 PPG (281st in the nation). Six-foot-5 guard Elston Turner (13.7 PPG) leads them on offense as a strong shooter (39% 3-pt FG, 84% FT) who knocks down 2.1 threes per game. Middleton (12.4 PPG) is the team’s best player, but his shooting percentages (41% FG, 26% threes) are way down from last season (45% FG, 36% threes). Middleton can be sloppy with the ball when he gets touches, leading the team with 2.3 turnovers per game. David Loubeau (10.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG) and Ray Turner (10.4 PPG, 59% FG) round out the double-figure-scoring quartet. Orchestrating the offense, Dash Harris (5.9 PPG, 4.1 APG) is not a scorer, but the senior takes care of the ball and finds the open man (2.2 Ast/TO ratio), despite being a miserable shooter (34% FG, 49% FT).

The Jayhawks, on the other hand, are far more top-heavy with two elite scoring threats. Thomas Robinson is a candidate for National Player of the Year, averaging a double-double with his 54% FG, in addition to strong defensive numbers (1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG). Tyshawn Taylor (16.5 PPG, 5.2 APG) is a dynamic backcourt threat who nails 1.5 threes per game on 45% shooting from deep. His major flaw, though, is that he turns it over 3.8 times per game. But it is difficult to fault Taylor considering how much the offense flows through him. Travis Releford (9.7 PPG) and Elijah Johnson (9.4 PPG) also play more than 30 minutes per game and are good complements to Robinson and Taylor.

SYRACUSE ORANGE (20-1, 7-1 Big East) at CINCINNATI BEARCATS (15-5, 5-2 Big East)

Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Syracuse -5.5 & 136

Opening Line & Total: Orange -5 & 135

For the first 2½ months of the college basketball season, the Syracuse Orange appeared to be an unstoppable force. After finally losing their first game of the year on Saturday to Notre Dame, the Orange face another daunting road test when they travel to Cincinnati on Monday night.

Syracuse fell convincingly to the Irish as nine-point favorites, 67-58, after allowing Notre Dame to shoot 50 percent from the field and from three-point range (8-for-16). Syracuse shot a season-low 34% FG. The Orange looked out of sync without sophomore center Fab Melo (7.2 PPG; team-high 5.7 RPG and 3.0 BPG), who will also miss Monday’s game due to an unresolved academic issue. Despite Syracuse’s 5-2 ATS record away from home, the Orange haven’t covered in their past two games overall. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has covered five of its past seven games. The Bearcats look to bounce back from a heartbreaking 77-74 overtime loss to West Virginia on Saturday, which snapped an impressive three-game winning streak that included road wins over Georgetown and UConn. At 36.8 percent from behind the arc (2nd in Big East), Cincy’s biggest strength is its ability to knock down outside shots—which also happens to be the best way to beat Syracuse’s lethal 2-3 zone. And without Melo in the lineup, Bearcats’ forward Yancy Gates (12.2 PPG, 9.4 RPG) will have a big impact in this matchup.

The Bearcats boast an impressive trio of guards that can light it up from three-point range, led by sophomore Sean Kilpatrick (16.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG), whose three-ball in the closing seconds beat UConn on Wednesday. Dion Dixon (13.9 PPG) and Cashmere Wright (10.8 PPG) also average in double figures for a scrappy Cincinnati team that is no stranger to close games: seven of their past eight games have been decided by four points or less. Gates, who has a double-double in back-to-back games, should have a big game on the glass for the Bearcats without Melo in the lineup for Cuse. If Gates can grab offensive rebounds, he will create crucial second-chance opportunities for the lethal Cincy shooters.

The high-octane Syracuse offense was held under 60 points for the first time all season in Saturday’s loss in South Bend. Even though Melo isn’t a big scorer, his absence clearly had the Orange rattled and lacking rhythm. ‘Cuse still has impressive depth, with 10 different players averaging 12+ minutes. Sophomore guard Dion Waiters (13.0 PPG) is arguably Syracuse’s best player—and he comes off the bench. Senior forward Kris Joseph (13.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG) leads all scorers for the Orange, and head coach Jim Boeheim will need a big night from him and 6-foot-8 sophomore C.J. Fair (8.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG) inside without the imposing force that is Melo.

The team also needs junior Brandon Triche to find his range. Although he makes 40% of his threes this year, Triche is just 1-for-8 behind the arc in his past four games. Scoop Jardine has done a great job handling the point recently, with 26 assists and just four turnovers in his past three games. He will be a key to handling Cincy’s tough perimeter defense, and he could help himself out by making a few more shots. For the season, Jardine is making 62% of two-point FG tries, but just 31% from three-point range and 54% from the foul line. Syracuse has won the past three meetings in this series easily, prevailing by 24, 17 and 15 points at home last year.

- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter

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