In-State rivals Kansas State and Kansas meet at the Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night in big 12 action.
The Wildcats are coming off their first conference win of the season last weekend. Kansas State uncharacteristically shot well and scored big to beat West Virginia in their last outing. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks are coming off back to back conference wins. In their last game, Kansas beat Texas to move to 4-1 in the Big 12. Last season, Kansas State was tied with Texas Tech for the Big 12 title, ending Kansas’ stranglehold of the conference.
First Conference Win of the Season
Kansas State picked up its first conference win of the season with an 84-68 win over West Virginia last Saturday. The Wildcats are 8-9 SU on the season and are 1-4 in Big 12 play, their worst start since 2015. They are 8th in the conference team standings and are currently on a two-game road trip starting with this contest.
😼#KStateMBB x #EMAW pic.twitter.com/GKYRBlsIUP
— DaJuan Gordon (@Thatboyquaye) January 19, 2020
Senior forward Xavier Sneed leads the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game while also grabbing 4.8 boards per contest and shooting 32.7% from downtown. He is coming off a 16 points and two assists effort against West Virginia and is one of only two players in the team averaging in double-digit scoring.
The Wildcats are averaging 65.5 points per game while shooting at a 42.6% clip and hitting the three-ball at 33.1%. Against West Virginia, they shot 59.2% from the floor and scored over 80 points, their highest output since December 11, 2019. Kansas State is allowing opponents to score just 62.2 points per game this season.
Second in the Big 12
The Kansas Jayhawks open a two-game homestand with a showdown against their in-state rivals. The Jayhawks are 14-3 SU on the season and they are 4-1 in conference play, 2nd in the Big 12. Kansas is 6-1 SU at home this season and they have won four out of their last five games played overall.
“ ” @d_dotson1
Recap ⬎ pic.twitter.com/CUTXY1UjfR
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) January 19, 2020
Devon Dotson leads three Kansas players scoring in double figures. The sophomore guard is putting up 18.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while also making 39% of his three-pointers. Dotson is coming off a 21-points and six rebounds effort in the Jayhawks’ win over Texas.
The Jayhawks are averaging 76.4 points per game this season and they are giving up just 60.6 points per contest. Kansas is hitting 49.7% from the floor and 36.8% from three-point distance. On defense, the team is allowing just 56.2 points per game and .396 from the field in Big 12 play.
Who Wins?
Kansas State is 1-4 SU in their last five games played. The Wildcats are 1-5 SU in their last six games against the Big 12 Conference. Kansas is 14-2 SU in their last 16 games played. The Jayhawks are 19-1 SU in their last 20 games played at home. Head to head, Kansas is 9-1 SU in their last 10 games played against Kansas State.
Kansas State is 1-4 in conference play and is currently tied for 8th in Big 12 play this season after sharing the league title last season with Texas Tech. The Wildcats beat West Virginia last Saturday to end their worst start in conference play since 2015.
Kansas is coming off wins over Oklahoma and Texas last week. Isaiah Moss knocked down six triples against Oklahoma but the entire Kansas team shot just 2-10 from three-point territory against Texas. This inconsistency from deep has made life difficult for big man Udoka Azubuike in the paint. The Jayhawks will need to shoot better if Azubuike is to be effective.
The Wildcats have lost 13 straight at Lawrence where the Jayhawks had won 26 games in a row before losing to Baylor last January 11th. Kansas is just at another level right now and they are living up to their billing as the preseason favorite to win the league title. I like the home team to pick up an easy win here.
Prediction: Kansas Jayhawks
Other Bets to Make
Kansas State is 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games played. The Wildcats are 2-5 ATS in seven games away from home this season. Kansas is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games played. The Jayhawks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 January games, and 7-13 ATS in their last 20 games played in January. Head to head, Kansas is 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games played against Kansas State.
Kansas State
+14.5 (-110)
Kansas
-14.5 (-110)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 01/21/20
While Kansas’ scoring has taken a 16-point dip in conference play, the Jayhawks are allowing just 56.2 points and 35.6% shooting in conference play. Meanwhile, Kansas State is shooting just .396 from the floor in Big 12 action. The Jayhawks’ ability to play good defense plus Kansas State’s porous offense is going to help Kansas cover the spread in this game.
Prediction: Kansas -14.5
The total has gone over in nine out of the last 13 games played by the Wildcats. The under is 6-0 in their last six games played on the road and the under is also 6-2 in their last eight January games. The total has gone under in each of the last seven games played by the Jayhawks. The under is also 5-0 in Kansas’ last five games against the Big 12 Conference.
Over
129 (-105)
Under
129 (-115)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 01/21/20
This is an in-state rivalry and you expect a physical and hard-fought game each time these teams meet. Both teams have played good defense this season and play at a below-average pace as well. The Wildcats are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the nation at 351st overall. They are going to have problems scoring against a Jayhawks defense that is ranked 16th in college basketball this season. Kansas entered conference play as the #1 scoring team but has averaged just 65.2 points per game against their regional rivals. I like these teams to play to the under in this rivalry game.
Prediction: Under 126.5