A top 25 battle is in store Monday night in the Big 12 Conference when the #10 Kansas Jayhawks (19-3, 8-1 Big 12) clash with the #23 Texas Longhorns (17-6, 6-4 Big 12). Kansas throttled Baylor over the weekend, while the Longhorns did the same to Iowa State. Monday’s contest will be the first meeting between these two conference rivals this season.
Monday’s tipoff is at 9 p.m. EST inside the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Kansas is a 1-point favorite over the hosts, and the over-under total is at 134.5 points.
What to Know – Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas enters the week on a two-game winning streak and winners of their last seven straight conference matchups. The Jayhawks own a 1.5 game lead in the Big 12 conference with a month remaining in the regular season.
On offense, Kansas averages 80.2 points per game thanks to 49.2 percent shooting from the floor and 36.0 shooting from the 3-point line. The Jayhawks’ defense limits opponents to 67.8 points per game, 42.1 percent shooting from the field, and 30.6 percent shooting from the arc.
The Jayhawks got out early and never looked back in their 83-59 victory over Baylor on Saturday. Kansas shot over 50 percent from the field and held the Bears to under 30 percent shooting. Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun led the Jayhawks in scoring with 18 points apiece.
Kansas is 10-12 against the spread this year and 3-3 ATS on the road. The Jayhawks are 3-6 ATS over their previous nine games but 8-0-1 in their last nine contests in February.
What to Know – Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns bounced back after a double-digit defeat to Texas Tech to throttle the Cyclones and improve their home record. Texas is 14-1 at home this season, winning their last three games in Austin.
Texas scores 68.2 points per game, hitting 45.6 percent of their shots from the field and connecting on 33.4 percent from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Longhorns surrender 54.9 points per game, 39.8 percent shooting from the floor, and 30.5 percent from three.
Texas used their conference-best scoring defense to limit the Cyclones to a season-low 41 points on Saturday. The Longhorns forced 18 turnovers and held Iowa State to under 30 percent shooting from the floor and only 2-of-15 from deep. Marcus Carr and Andrew Jones led the Longhorns in scoring with 14 points each.
The Longhorns are 10-13 ATS this year and 8-7 ATS on their home floor. Texas is trending in the wrong direction in February, sporting a 2-6-1 record ATS over its previous nine games.
The Pick is In
There is no denying the home record the Longhorns have this season. Texas has been unbeatable at home but is just over .500 against the spread. Kansas has bounced back with a pair of victories after an embarrassing blowout loss at home to end January and appears to be playing their best ball of the season.
Kansas gets it done on the road in a narrow victory and hands Texas its second home loss of the year.
Betting Pick: Kansas Jayhawks -1
