The Kansas Jayhawks (+2,800 to win the national title) have been in danger of failing to defend their Big 12 regular season title, but the focus for them now is to win as many games as possible before conference play ends. They did just that against rival Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown on Monday, winning 64-49 thanks to some serious defense. The Jayhawks decisive win cut its gap behind KSU in the Big 12 standings in half.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (+200,000) are not going to win that aforementioned title, but they will be motivated to win their remaining games because they don’t want to end up in the bottom of the Big 12 standings when it’s all said and done. Plus, they want those quality wins for their March resume. Can they slow KU’s roll?
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Betting Preview for the Kansas Jayhawks vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys College Basketball Game on March 2, 2019
Where: Gallagher Iba Arena, Stillwater
When: Saturday, March 2, 2019, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Kansas Jayhawks (odds) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Kansas Jayhawks (21-7 Overall / 10-5 Conference)
While Monday’s win against rival KSU brings back some confidence in Kansas, the Jayhawks would rather forget what happened over the weekend. Kansas got crushed in Lubbock last Saturday in a 91-62 loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said in the postgame interview that the Jayhawks “didn’t play their best game,” and he’s absolutely right. Kansas shot just 45.8 percent from the field – lower than its 47.2 field goal percentage this season. However, the Jayhawks went 9-for-21 from behind the arc for a nice 42.9 percent clip from deep. The long ball was a big weapon for Kansas in its 84-72 home win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 9 in which the Jayhawks nailed 11 3-pointers on 29 attempts. Forward Dedric Lawson had a fantastic outing in that contest, scoring 25 points with seven rebounds and five assists, while Ochai Agbaji had 23 points and five triples. Kansas’ offense is still tough to handle despite the loss to Texas Tech. The Jayhawks are tops in the conference with a 53.5 effective field goal percentage.
The Jayhawks are 2-0 straight up (SU) and 2-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last two games against Oklahoma State.
Betting on the Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-17 Overall / 3-11 Conference)
After putting a stop to their five-game losing skid with a 68-61 home win over the TCU Horned Frogs on Feb. 23, the Cowboys rodeod their way back into the loss column when they lost to the Kansas State Wildcats on the road over the weekend, 85-46. It was an embarrassing effort for Oklahoma State, which made just 31.4 percent of their shots from the field and committed 10 turnovers. One thing the Cowboys need to get back is the shooting touch of leading scorer Cameron McGriff, who only produced a measly total of two points on 1-for-5 shooting in 30 minutes of action in the Kansas State game. McGriff, who leads the team with 12.5 points per game, had 22points and six rebounds in the first date with Kansas this season, so seeing the Jayhawks could be just what the doctor ordered for him. Expect McGriff and company to engage Kansas in a 3-point shooting contest again. They went 9-for-20 against the Jayhawks, and are fifth in the conference with a 36.1 3-point shooting percentage.
The over is 2-1-1 in the Cowboys’ last four home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Kansas wins, 75-67.
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