The No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks will seek their second win tonight against conference rival Oklahoma State in a two-week span. The Jayhawks defeated the Cowboys earlier this month 90-66 on the road in Gallagher-IBA Arena. Kansas’ full starting lineup scored in double digits on a night it shot 62.1 percent from the field, but now the Jayhawks are looking to bounce back from a 79-75 loss on the road to Iowa State.
Recreating the success of ISU against the Jayhawks is going to be a tall task for the Cowboys given they have dropped nine of the last 10 matchups between the two. However, the Jayhawks lost their last game thanks to a three-point shooting barrage from the Cyclones, who finished the game 14-for-30 from deep (46.7 percent).
The Cowboys shoot 35 percent from deep this season and average nine makes per game. They didn’t maintain those averages in the first game, which is partly to blame for the lopsided result.
Oklahoma State is 6-12-2 against the spread (ATS) and 9-11 on the season (14th in the Big 12). The Jayhawks are 8-11-1 ATS and are 16-4 on the season (fourth in the Big 12).
Let’s look at OK State vs. Kansas odds, props and predictions ahead of their matchup tonight as conference play heats up.
Oklahoma State vs. Kansas betting line: Point spread, moneyline, total
Check out the live college basketball betting odds for the Cowboys vs. Jayhawks on the top sports betting apps:
Oklahoma State betting news: Cowboys suffering from backcourt woes
The Cowboys’ leading scorer Javon Small had a night he surely wants to put out of his mind in his first meeting with Kansas. He finished that game with a season low of just two points on 1-for-10 from the field, which was also a season low.
Since then, he has put together three decent performances, including back-to-back 15-point games with 60% hooting from deep or better. In his last three games, he has connected on eight of his 13 attempts from beyond the arc. He’ll need a performance closer to his last three tonight to give the Cowboys any shot at a victory.
He'll also need his backcourt mate Bryce Thompson to come along for the show. In the first matchup against the Jayhawks, Thompson finished with 20 points on 5-for-11 from the field and 3-for-7 from deep. However, since then, his productivity has dipped dramatically. In his last three games, his scoring totals are seven, nine, and eight. He hasn’t shot better than 30 percent from the field in any contest since the battle with Kansas or connected on more than one three-point attempt.
Considering the Cowboys’ low scoring output, their two top players can’t afford off nights. That didn’t happen in the first battle and hasn’t happened since then.
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Jayhawks betting news: Johnny Furphy emerging as significant scoring threat
The Jayhawks “Big 3” has been a constant this season, but the production around them has been limited, which is beginning to have an impact. Guard Kevin McCullar Jr. is averaging 19.8 points per game, followed by center Hunter Dickinson at 18.9 points per game and K.J. Adams at 12.6 points per game.
The Jayhawks have lost two of their last three games – falling to West Virginia and No. 23 Iowa State. In the loss to West Virginia, players not named McCullar Jr., Dickinson, or Adams Jr. only accounted for 31 percent of the team’s 85 points. Against the Cyclones, the Jayhawks’ supporting cast was only responsible for 34 percent of the 75 points scored.
The scoring percentage of the contributing cast is even worse when you account for one player being responsible for the bulk of the extra help. Against the Mountaineers, Johnny Furphy scored 13 points, and against the Cyclones he scored 15 points. Both are well above his season average of 7.9 points.
He has scored in double digits in the team’s last four games, averaging 16.5 points per game in that stretch. He has also connected on at least three of his looks from deep in that stretch, going 12-for-22 from beyond the arc.
His offensive role is increasing, and the Jayhawks need every bit of it as Kansas’ ability to win games based on the production of their Big 3 alone appears to be dwindling.
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Oklahoma State vs. Kansas prediction ATS
Defending the three-point line is starting to cause the Jayhawks. In both of their recent losses, they allowed teams to shoot 57 percent and 46.7 percent from deep. The Cowboys can get hot from beyond the arc, but their starting backcourt hasn’t been able to get on the same page as of late. Depending on both Thompson and Small to have good nights for the Cowboys isn’t a reliable wager currently, which gives Kansas the edge, especially at home in this matchup.
Prediction: Kansas
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