Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview
Big 12 rivals will square off on Valentine’s Day as the Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-12, 5-7 in Big 12) take on the No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks (20-4, 9-2 in Big 12). The Jayhawks will host this one at the Allen Fieldhouse, with tipoff scheduled for 9:00 pm ET Monday.
This is the second time these two have squared off as Kansas beat Oklahoma State 74-63 back on January 4.
Since that loss, the Cowboys have gone 5-7, but they did pick up an 81-58 home win in their last matchup against West Virginia on Saturday.
In the win, Moussa Cisse and Avery Anderson III combined for 36 points and 17 rebounds. Bryce Thompson added 13 in the victory.
Kansas bounced back from a 79-76 loss to No. 20 Texas to beat Oklahoma 71-69 in their last matchup on Saturday.
Jalen Wilson had a game-high 22 points to go along with nine rebounds and two assists. Christian Braun added 18 points and eight rebounds in the victory.
Kansas is the overwhelming favorite playing at home. They are -630 to win while the Cowboys’ moneyline sits at +450. The spread features Oklahoma State +11 (-114), and the over/under for total points is 143.
More Odds
The Jayhawks are the favorites to win the Big 12 as the regular season winds down at -190. The Cowboys are +49000 to win the conference.
In terms of the National Championship, the Jayhawks are tied for the sixth-best odds of winning it all at +1400.
By The Numbers
Kansas has the better offensive team to date. They rank 13th in scoring averaging 79.6 points per game (81.3 at home). The Cowboys rank 183rd as they are averaging 69.8 points per game (66.8 on the road).
Defensively, Oklahoma State holds the advantage. They rank 91st in scoring defense as they are allowing opponents just 66.5 points per game (69.3 on the road.). Kansas ranks 139th allowing 68.3 points (65.9 at home).
Oklahoma Needs Better Performance On The Road
At just 12-12, the Cowboys have had a tough season, but they have been especially poor on the road. This season, they are 2-6 overall and have lost four in a row as the road team. On Monday, they will try to move above .500 against a tough Jayhawks team.
Leading Oklahoma State’s offense is junior guard Avery Anderson III. On the season, Anderson is averaging 11.4 points on 40% shooting. He is also chipping in three rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
The Cowboys only have one other player averaging double digits in sophomore guard Bryce Thompson. He is averaging 10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and one assist per game.
Other contributors include Bryce Williams (9.7 points, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals) and Isaac Likekele (7.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists).
Kansas Looks For Home Court Advantage
At 20-4 overall, the Jayhawks have been tough wherever they have played. At Allen Fieldhouse, though, they have been nearly unstoppable at 12-1.
Their success has given them a half-game lead over the Baylor Bears in the conference. As such, a win Monday night is crucial to maintain their conference lead.
Offensively, senior guard Ochai Agbaji has led the way. He is averaging 19.9 points on 50.5% shooting. He is also adding 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
The Jayhawks have two other scorers averaging double digits in Christian Braun (15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists) and Jalen Wilson (10.4 points, 7.1 rebounds).
Take Kansas To Win And Cover
In the first matchup between these two teams, Kansas won on the road without even having their sharpest game on the offensive side. While they just barely won against Oklahoma in their last outing, the Jayhawks still should come into this one with a lot of confidence.
It is just hard to see a scenario where Oklahoma State keeps this close. They are obviously not the same team that they have been in years past, and they just don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with Kansas.
For that reason, take Kansas to win and cover.
