Back on January 2, the Kansas Jayhawks got a rude awakening for the new year, as Texas came to town and delivered an 84-59 rout, the sort of thing that just does not happen to Kansas in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks restored order with a 29-point beating of TCU down in Fort Worth, but then they played Oklahoma at home and struggled to hold on for a 63-59 win. The Jayhawks (10-2, 4-1 Big 12) next face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Tuesday night in Stillwater. The Cowboys (8-3, 2-3 Big 12) have lost three conference games by a combined seven points, getting shocked at home by TCU, and then losing at Texas and at home to West Virginia. They have also beaten Texas Tech on the road (no easy feat) and whipped Kansas State.
Which Cowboys team will show up against Kansas? Check out our college basketball betting preview of this Big 12 showdown.
NCAAB: Kansas at Oklahoma State (January 12)
When: Tuesday, January 12, 2020, 8:00 pm ET
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, OK
TV: Big 12 Network
Radio: No National Radio
Live Stream: ESPN+
NCAAB Odds: XXXX
Why should you bet on the Jayhawks?
One sign of a top team is the ability to win even when things aren’t going all that well. The Jayhawks played dreadful basketball against Oklahoma on Saturday but were still only down by two points at the intermission. David McCormack hit a baby hook with 12.8 seconds left in regulation for the game-winning basket. He had 17 points on the day to lead the Jayhawks. Ochai Agbaji chipped in 14, and Jalen Wilson put up nine points and 11 rebounds. Oklahoma was missing Brady Manek and Jalen Hill due to COVID-19 restrictions but still hung in there late.
Kansas recovered somewhat from that 25-point loss to Texas, which tied the record for the biggest home loss to Kansas in the 65 years that Allen Fieldhouse has hosted games. Bryce Thompson is still out due to a back injury, leaving Kansas thin at the guard position. Wilson had six turnovers in the first half, and the three-point shooting was off. Oklahoma also won the battle of the boards, which is not typical for Kansas. If you like Kansas, you see them finding their stride again against a less consistent Big 12 team.
Why should you put your money on the Cowboys?
Oklahoma State got hot down the stretch against Kansas State, making 13 straight shots, starting with 13:03 left in the second half, to pull away. Isaac Likekele put up 15 points, going 6 of 9 from the floor, and he pulled down nine rebounds. Rondel Walker also scored 15 in the win, going 3 of 5 from behind the arc. Kalib Boone (14) and Avery Anderson III (11) also made double figures, as the team made up for unusually low production from Cade Cunningham, the top scorer in the Big 12 and the likely top pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He only put up three shots in 31 minutes, finishing with five points, a season low. He did also have six boards, five assists and a block.
If you like Oklahoma State here, you see Cunningham getting back to his usual level of scoring and you also see Kansas continuing to struggle in terms of ball security and rebounding. The Cowboys have been on the short end of a number of tough games this year, while Kansas has not been playing up to their usual level of quality. Even so, I see Kansas using their system to pull away from the Cowboys.
Final Score and Prediction
Cade Cunningham is going to do great things in the NBA, but he won’t be able to carry the Cowboys to victory over Kansas by himself. I predict a final score of Kansas 74, Oklahoma State 68.
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