Kansas vs Oklahoma Odds
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | -150 |
| Oklahoma Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | +130 |
Oklahoma desperately needs a win to remain hopeful of an NCAA tournament berth.
Meanwhile, Kansas is motivated to earn a road victory in Norman to try to keep pace with Texas at the top of the Big 12 standings.
Here's the betting breakdown for Saturday's contest between Kansas and Oklahoma.
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas has been scrutinized all year as defending national champions eager to repeat.
While the Jayhawks may be less equipped to win a title this year, it's easy to forget the struggles Bill Self's team had last January and February before going on a run.
One of the primary concerns all year for Kansas has been its lack of bench production. As has been the case with most teams in Self's tenure, Kansas has plenty of depth capable of giving quality minutes when called upon.
Unfortunately, not one of those reserves has truly emerged as the clear best option in the way Remy Martin ultimately did last year.
However, the Jayhawks' most recent game may be a sign that the bench is finally ready to contribute.
Despite Jalen Wilson's worst performance of the season (two points), Kansas was able to tally 88 points in a win over Texas on Monday.
In a strange way, injuries that kept Zuby Ejiofor, Zach Clemence and Bobby Pettiford out may have simplified things for Self.
The injuries left Kansas with only eight scholarship players available to play against the Longhorns. Before departing for Norman, Self made a comment seemingly confirming only those eight players will be available again Saturday.
Consequently, it seems to me the three bench players that will be available against Oklahoma (Joe Yesufu, Ernest Udeh Jr. and MJ Rice) are now able to play with much more freedom.
All three players can play without the fear of being yanked upon making their first mistake. With 11 players available to him, it seemed Self was eager to substitute at any potential sign of a perceived lack of hustle.
Intuition may tell bettors that a lack of depth would incline a team to slow tempo down and try to stay fresh. I simply would not expect this Kansas team to actively attempt to slow down the pace and score in the half-court.
The evidence has shown Kansas actually looks to push tempo — even after a made basket — to try to score in transition against disorganized defenses.
The 88-80 final score with the same eight-man rotation is just the latest indication that Kansas is content to continue to play with tempo.
Oklahoma Sooners
The most reliable aspect of the Sooners this year has been their inconsistency. How many teams are capable of losing to a WAC opponent at home while also being capable of smashing potentially the nation's best team in Alabama?
A great coach is often a trait of a team that is able to defeat a superior opponent.
Porter Moser certainly seems to be a great coach given his resume. However, it may also be fair to wonder if the smoke surrounding the Moser-Notre Dame rumors has distracted his current team.
The Sooners' roster is not athletically up to par with the standard of athlete in the Big 12. They unfortunately do not have the size on paper to exploit Kansas' lack of height on their interior.
If Oklahoma is going to knock off the Jayhawks to earn a split in the season series, you would have to imagine Grant Sherfield and the Groves brothers will need to improve upon their horrific shooting performance from deep that they experienced a month ago in Lawrence.
And the Sooners' willingness to match Kansas' desire to play small at the four and five positions should aid the tempo and possession count.
Kansas vs Oklahoma Betting Pick
The previous matchup between Kansas and Oklahoma in Lawrence totaled 154 points.
In that game, Oklahoma shot 2-of-17 from 3-point range, while Kansas was held to a mere 37% clip from the field.
If the efficiency would have been any better, that total could have climbed even higher.
Oklahoma has been up and down in terms of both wins and losses and totals all year. It's difficult to trust much about this Sooners team, but I believe if either the tempo or efficiency is there, this total should be in the high 140s.
If both are there, even an 85-79 final score wouldn't surprise me.
Pick: Over 140.5 (Play to 142.5) |
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