Kansas Jayhawks at TCU Horned Frogs Betting Preview

The No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks will be trying to respond to a disappointing loss over the weekend when they hit the road to take on the TCU Horned Frogs on Tuesday night. On the road, the Jayhawks are favored by five points, with the over/under set at 137.5 points.
Kansas is nothing short of dumbfounded after a lopsided 84-59 loss to Texas over the weekend. Granted, the Longhorns are a top 10 team, but it was shocking to see the Jayhawks beaten so soundly at home. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak and gave the Jayhawks their first conference loss of the season.
Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs are aiming for their sixth straight win of the season on Tuesday. TCU lost its conference opener to Oklahoma in early December.
However, the Horned Frogs have responded with wins over Oklahoma State and Kansas State, as well as wins outside the conference over Texas A&M and Providence. Those wins have the Horned Frogs at 9-2 overall heading into back-to-back top 10 opponents.
Dynamic Duo
TCU might have one of the best backcourts in the Big 12 this year with RJ Nembhard and Mike Miles. Together, the duo is averaging over 33 points per game, while Nembhard has scored over 20 points in his last three games.
At the same time, the freshman Miles seems to be getting better with every game, averaging over 17 points per game during TCU’s five-game winning streak. Both are capable outside shooters and good passers. They’ve been willing to share the ball with one another and their teammates.
The caveat for the Horned Frogs is they lack consistent scorers outside of Nembhard and Miles. The only exception to that might be center Kevin Samuel. The 6-11 junior has been a force at both ends this season.
To be fair, his offense can come and go at times. However, he has three double-doubles and is averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. Samuel is also a rim protector who averages 2.6 blocks per game, helping to anchor a solid TCU defense.
Something’s Missing
After their blowout loss to Texas, it’s clear that the Jayhawks are missing something. That something could be a reliable inside presence.
Junior forward David McCormack has been wildly inconsistent with his performances this season. He played just 14 minutes against Kansas, as Bill Self preferred a smaller lineup. As a result, Kansas was dominated on the boards, which was one of several problems they had in the game.
The good news for Kansas is it has too many scoring threats to repeat such a disastrous performance. Freshman forward Jalen Wilson is the team’s leading scorer at 15 points per game, while Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun have both taken a huge step forward in their developments.
Despite struggling from the perimeter against Texas, the Jayhawks shoot 37% from three-point range on the season, so they should be in a good position to bounce back.
Just an Aberration
It’d be shocking to see Kansas play two horrible games in a row. If the Jayhawks get blown out again, there will be a reason for Self to be worried. Until that happens, it’s safe to bet on Kansas bouncing back to win and cover against TCU on Tuesday.