Kansas Jayhawks at Texas Longhorns Betting Odds

Opening Line: Kansas -1 / Texas +1 O/U 153

Time: 9 PM EST Monday February 8, 2010 on ESPN

Tonight in a marquee Big 12 match up in the Lone Star State the 10th ranked Texas Longhorns host the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. Many thought this game would be THE game of the season, but while it is a huge game Kansas has a firm grip on the Big 12.

Texas has struggled since becoming the #1 team in the nation back on January 11th, as they have only gone 2-4 since including losing their last game. The Longhorns are in 4th place in the Big 12 and trail Kansas by 3 games. Kansas has won 8 straight games after dropping their first game of the season.

This season Texas is 12-1 at home and 9-10 ATS and Kansas is 6-1 on the road and 9-10-1 ATS.

Both teams played on Saturday, but with different results, as Kansas beat Nebraska 75-64 while Texas lost to Oklahoma 80-71.

Tonight Texas will try to get their first win ever against a #1 ranked team in the nation. Even though Texas is 0-6 against top-ranked teams they have won 6 games in a row at home against teams ranked in the top 5 in the nation.

Kansas has won 5 of the last 6 games against Texas, but they have not won at Texas since 2002.

The Jayhawks are stacked and have a well-balanced team with guards Sherron Collins (15.6 ppg) and Xavier Henry (13 ppg), F Marcus Morris (13 ppg 6.3 rpg) and C Cole Aldrich (11.6 ppg 10.3 rpg).

Morris has been on fire recently, as he dropped 22 on Nebraska on Saturday and in his last 8 games he is averaging 17.8 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

The Longhorns are also a well-balanced team with G/F Damion James (17.8 ppg 11 rpg), G Avery Bradley (12.5 ppg), and C Dexter Pittman (11.4 ppg 6.2 rpg).

Kansas has the advantage in the frontcourt and James and Pittman have to play good defense against Morris and Aldrich and not allow them to get easy buckets in the paint and dominate the glass.

Both teams can light up the scoreboard, as Texas is averaging 84.1 ppg and Kansas is averaging 83.7 ppg, so the team that can play some defense and slow the pace will have the best chance to win.

Kansas is 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 road games, 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a road favorite, and has an Over record of 5-1 in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record.

Texas is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games, 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record, and has an Over record of 5-2 in their last 7 home games.

In the last 6 meetings between these 2 teams the total has gone Over 5 times.

Our Selection : Both teams have been draining bettors bankrolls as of late with the Jayhawks a poor 3-6-1 against the spread and the Longhorns are a pocket draining 1-9. Texas after winning their first 17 games have dropped 4 out of their last 6 games SU. Scoring has been the issue for Texas as they have only exceeded 80 points in one of their last 6 games. Their defense has been nothing to write home about during that stretch allowing 4 of their 6 opponents to score 80 plus points and all 4 of those game went over the total. We don't see Texas holding a Kansas team averaging 81.3 in conference play to under 80 points tonight. We also think that while the Longhorns would be be hard pressed to match their season avarage of 84.1 points at home, they will score enough to send this game way over the total. Note that 5 out of the 6 games in this match up have gone over the posted line. Take Over 153 points