The Big 12 Conference appears to be the best in the country this season, and two of its top teams will face off against each other Monday night in a top-25 battle.
The #22 TCU Horned Frogs (18-9, 7-7 Big 12) battle the #5 Kansas Jayhawks (22-5, 10-4 Big 12). TCU stunned Kansas earlier this season, handing the Jayhawks their only home loss of the season in an 83-60 blowout defeat.
Monday’s conference contest tips off at 9 p.m. EST inside Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU is a 1.5-point favorite in the Big 12 showdown, while the over/under total is 150.5 points.
What to Know – #5 Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas enters the week winners of their last four, including a pair against teams ranked inside the top 10. The Jayhawks lost three in a row at the end of January but remain in a tie with Texas atop the Big 12 standings.
KenPom has coach Bill Self’s team ranked seventh in the country, while the NCAA NET rankings have the Jayhawks slightly better at sixth.
On offense, the Jayhawks are third in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 77.0 ppg thanks to 47.0% shooting from the floor and 35.3% from the 3-point line. Defensively, Kansas ranks sixth in conference, surrendering 68.3 ppg, 41.4% shooting from the field, and 32.2% from deep.
This year the Jayhawks are 13-14 against the spread and 6-3 ATS away from Lawrence. Recent betting trends show Kansas is 1-4 ATS over their last five games against the Horned Frogs.
What to Know – #22 TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs routed Oklahoma State on Saturday to end a four-game slide and get back to .500 in conference play. TCU is tied with the Cowboys for sixth place in the Big 12 standings with four games remaining on the schedule. KenPom has the Horned Frogs rated 19th in the current rankings, while the NCAA NET has TCU further down at 22nd.
The TCU offense sits fourth in amongst conference teams scoring 76.5 ppg behind 47.1% shooting from the field and 29.2% shooting from three. On defense, the Horned Frogs limit their opponents to 67.3 ppg, 42.3% shooting from the floor, and 30.9% shooting from beyond the arc.
TCU owns a positive 14-12-1 record ATS with a 9-5-1 showing at home. However, over the past five contests the Horned Frogs are 1-4 ATS.
The Pick is In
The Kansas basketball program has had this game circled on the schedule since the Horned Frogs handed them their worst home loss in two years and snapping a 16-game home winning streak.
The Jayhawks have won their last three games by double-digits, and we anticipate much of the same in this one. TCU is trending downward, while Kansas has its sights on the Big 12 crown and another run in the NCAA Tournament to defend their title.
The Pick: #5 Kansas Jayhawks ML
