NCAAB Pick: Kansas ML (+110) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Where’s the value and how do we play the odds in Monday’s big battle in the Big 12 where the Kansas Jayhawks mosey into Cowtown to face the TCU Horned Frogs?
Kansas Jayhawks vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Monday, February 20, 2023 – 09:00 PM EST at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena
Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning once droned on and on about how many ways she loves thee, but her list was much shorter than the number of ways the Kansas and TCU outcome on Monday’s short schedule of matchups will impact the Big 12 race.
Bill Self and the Jayhawks are coming off a huge comeback win over Baylor, and the victory afforded Kansas a share of the Big 12 lead alongside the Texas Longhorns. Jamie Dixon and the Horned Frogs are three back entering the final two weeks of the regular season.
Monday’s result will not only affect the conference race, but also the national college basketball scene. Kansas was anointed one of the No. 1 seeds by the NCAA Selection Committee in its early peek at March Madness, with TCU presently drawing a 6-seed in Joe Lunardi’s projections.
Rivalry Notes & Betting Trends
Another reason why we love this matchup is that it’s rare for Kansas to play with revenge on its mind, and the Jayhawks will definitely be out for payback in Ft. Worth after the Horned Frogs embarrassed Self’s squad in Lawrence a little more than a month ago.
Kansas closed as 7-point chalk at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review) in that January 21 meeting, and TCU took control early for an 83-60 cakewalk. It was the worst loss at home by the Jayhawks in more than two years, and one of the worst setbacks since Self took over the program in 2003.
Kansas and TCU played both of their regular season games a year ago at the end of the schedule and only two days apart. The Horned Frogs won the contest in Ft. Worth, 74-64, the Jayhawks’ final loss before going on an 11-game run to win the National Championship.
- Kansas has a commanding 24-4 lead over TCU in the rivalry, with a 20-4 record as Big 12 opponents.
- The Jayhawks have won 10 of the last 12 overall, and 6 of the last 7 in Ft. Worth.
- January’s ‘Under’ was the fifth meeting in a row to fall short of the totals.
Rocking Chalk: KU Has Covered Last 4 Games
Trailing Baylor by 16 late in the first half at home on Saturday, there was every indication the Jayhawks were about to suffer another embarrassing home loss much like the one that TCU administered a month ago at The Phog.
Kansas got up off the mat, however, and reversed that deficit to end up with a 16-point win over the Bears. The NCAAB odds closed with the Jayhawks giving up 4.5-5.5 at various US betting sites, and they outscored the Bears by 29 in the second half for the 87-71 decision.
While Kansas struggled a bit from outside by hitting just 6-of-21 (28.6%) from 3-point range, that was offset at the free throw line where the Jayhawks outscored Baylor 23-9 on the scoreboard by missing just four of their 27 tries.
Miles' Return Sparks Frogs
Texas Christian also lifted itself off the mat on Saturday, though it wasn’t in the same manner as the comeback Kansas mounted to beat Baylor. The mat that the Horned Frogs got up from was in the form of a 4-game skid that ended with a 100-75 win over Oklahoma State.
Dixon will tell you that whole the 15 points Mike Miles Jr. scored was a factor in TCU’s win as 6-point chalk at the best Texas betting sites, it was simply having their leading scorer on the floor again that proved to be the biggest plus in the triumph.
Miles had been out of the lineup since hyperextending a knee in an overtime loss at Mississippi State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, and his 35 minutes of floor time last Saturday was huge in opening up TCU’s offense to result in five other players scoring in double digits.
Jayhawks Win Outright
At least one shop started the betting proceedings off as a pick before TCU backers lined up to drive the spread to the Horned Frogs -2 on the morning line. Scoreboard punters have 149.5-150 to mull over before deciding.
There’s no question that Miles is an excellent shooter and gives TCU a great shot to win this one. My college basketball picks are based on the belief that Kansas simply isn’t going to let the Horned Frogs sweep the season series. Jayhawks straight up, and a small play in the ‘Under.’
NCAAB Pick: Kansas ML (+110) at Heritage Sports
NCAAB Pick: Under 149.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
