Kansas basketball is in unfamiliar territory as it begins the Big 12 Tournament, playing as the No. 6 seed and in second round action.
injuries have crushed the Jayhawks of late, and the team is going to be without Kevin McCullar and Hunter Dickinson for the Big 12 Tournament, which has drastically altered the betting line for the team's matchup against Cincinnati.
Bill Self said tonight on Lawrence radio that both Hunter Dickinson (shoulder) and Kevin McCullar (knee) will miss this week's Big 12 Tournament.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 12, 2024
A significant development for this week in Kansas City.
The Jayhawks are now listed as betting underdogs against No. 11 seed Cincinnati in the second round, will the rest of the roster step up, or is KU out-manned on Wednesday night? I'm eyeing the total for my best bet in this one.
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Cincinnati vs. Kansas Odds, Spread and Total
Kansas vs. Cincinnati Betting Trends
- Cincinnati is 8-14 against the spread (ATS) this season as a favorite
- Kansas is 2-3 ATS as an underdog
- Cincinnati has gone OVER in 17 of 32 games this season
Cincinnati vs. Kansas How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, March 13
- Game Time: 9:30 PM EST
- Venue: T-Mobile Center
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
- Cincinnati Record: 19-13
- Kansas Record: 22-9
Cincinnati vs. Kansas Key Players to Watch
Cincinnati
Day Day Thomas: The Bearcats rallied to beat West Virginia behind the play of Simas Lukosius but also junior guard Day Day Thomas, who hit seven three's in the victory. Thomas has been tasked with organizing this Cincinnati offense, but his three-point outburst is something to keep an eye on in Kansas City.
Kansas
Dajuan Harris: Without its two best scoring threats, more pressure is on Harris than ever before. The facilitator of this Jayhawks offense, Harris will need to up his scoring level against a sturdy Cincinnati offense that is elite at defending the rim. Can Harris draw enough attention to open up shooting opportunities for the likes of Johnny Furphy?
Cincinnati vs. Kansas Prediction and Pick
Don't be fooled by the 90-point outing from Cincinnati, this is an offense that has floundered throughout Big 12 play. The group is 10th in conference play in terms of adjusted efficiency and is last in three-point percentage at below 30%.
Without McCullar and Dickinson on the floor, the Jayhawks overall efficiency is going to take a hit, but I expect Bill Self is going to lean on his half-court offense in this case and trust Harris to manage this game, minimizing the possessions.
It's a very limited sample of both players being on the floor, but the team takes an obvious hit on both sides of the floor. The two have been off the floor for about 200 possessions on the season, but what's clear is that the offense lacks perimeter potency. The team shot 27% in that limited sample from beyond the arc and 61% on twos.
However, that's the strength of the Cincinnati defense, 34th in field goal percentage allowed at the rim.
With all that being said, I believe this game slows down and is played in the half court, setting us up for an under bet.
PICK: UNDER 138.5
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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