Texas Longhorns at Kansas State Wildcats Betting Preview

Opening Line: Longhorns +1 / Wildcats -1 O/U 159

Time: 9 PM EST Monday January 18, 2010 on ESPN

Tonight in a Big 12 match up the 12th ranked Kansas State Wildcats host the to-ranked Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns has cruised to most of their victories early in the season, but since they became the #1 team in the nation things have not been so easy, as they had to come back from a halftime deficit to beat Iowa state and then Texas &M took them to OT in their last game, which they went on to win. Kansas State has won 2 in a row and has a well-balanced team with 4 players averaging in double figures.

This season Kansas State is 9-1 at home and 9-3 ATS and Texas is 3-0 on the road and 8-5 ATS.

In their last games Texas beat Texas A&M 72-67 in OT on Saturday and Kansas State beat Colorado 87-81 also on Saturday.

Kansas State has a legit inside-outside game with 2 guards and 2 forwards averaging in double figures. They have a very good backcourt with Jacob Pullen (19.7 ppg) and Denis Clemente (14.9 ppg). These guys lead a Kansas State offense that has averaged 83.1 ppg this season.

Texas also has a great inside-outside game led by Player of the Year candidate G/F Damion James (17.8 ppg 11.2 rpg).

The Wildcats do not have a lot of height, as the tallest player in the starting lineup is 6'7". They will have to play solid defense tonight and hit the boards as a team. They cannot allow Texas C Dexter Pittman (12.8 ppg 6.5 rpg), who is 6"10", to have a big scoring game or dominate the boards.

Texas has to play solid defense tonight against Wildcats' leading scorer Jacob Pullen, who is shooting 44.4% from 3-point range and he ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in both scoring and 3-pt shooting percentage.

The forward trio of Jamar Samuels (12.1 ppg), Curtis Kelly (11.1 ppg 6.2 rpg), and Dominique Sutton (8.1 ppg 5.9 rpg) have to hit the glass tonight and score some inside buckets, as if they can do that it will open up the shooting lanes for the guards, especially Pullen.

The Longhorns are averaging 87.2 ppg and they like to get out and run, but the Wildcats have the squad to keep up with them.

Texas is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games, 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 road games, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss. Kansas State is 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 games, 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games against teams with a winning road record, and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.

Our Selection : The Longhorns while undefeated on the season, have lost their last 4 games versus the spread. Texas catches the Wildcats coming off of two confidence building Big12 Conference wins and at home where they have yet to lose a game this season. K State only allowing visiting opponents 69 points per game. Take the Wildcats -2


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