Texas vs Kansas Odds & Prediction | How to Bet Big 12 Showdown

Let's take a look at the Texas Longhorns vs. Kansas Jayhawks odds and make a prediction in this college basketball betting preview for Saturday, Feb. 24.

After a full week of rest, Kansas is set to host Texas.

Both teams enter this game with a bit of momentum and are coming off wins. Kansas won a conference road game against Oklahoma last Saturday, while Texas won in Austin on Monday, primarily thanks to an impressive defensive effort in which it held Kansas St. to just 56 points.

Texas has defeated Kansas in the two most recent matchups between these teams. Will that happen again?

Texas is a much different team now than the version coach Rodney Terry inherited at the beginning of last season. Marcus Carr, Sir'Jabari Rice and Timmy Allen made up a veteran trio that led Texas to a Big 12 Tournament title and a subsequent run to the Elite 8. However, all three now gone.

Terry had quite a project in front of him as he looked to replace the production from such a successful team. In Kadin Shedrick and Max Abmas, Texas was able to land a pair of key additions.

All indications are that Texas is a much better team with Shedrick on the floor. Still, similar to his days at Virginia, Shedrick's minutes have been quite limited as of late.

Terry claims Shedrick's limited minutes are because of a lingering shoulder injury, but Shedrick hasn't confirmed any of those comments. Reading a bit between the lines, there may be a chemistry issue between Shedrick and his teammates or coaches.

Meanwhile, Abmas has solidified himself as one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball history. After leading Oral Roberts to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, Abmas is averaging 17 points per game for the Longhorns and is the clear focal point for defensive scouting reports. DaJuan Harris Jr. and Kansas will need a clear plan to handle ball screens and avoid giving Abmas space to shoot or facilitate.

The other key matchup will be Dylan Disu against Kansas' frontcourt.

Disu can stretch the floor with his shooting and is more quick and agile than Hunter Dickinson. KJ Adams Jr. has the speed and athleticism advantage in comparison to Dickinson but would be giving up quite a bit of size when guarding Disu. Disu dominated Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament last year and has scored 15 or more points in nine straight conference games.

Kansas has certainly been a different team at home than on the road this season. The constant between this year’s team and those who have dominated the Big 12 over the past couple decades is this: the Jayhawks don’t lose at home.

Self’s team is a perfect 13-0 at home this year, including wins over UConn, Houston and Baylor. Texas has won two straight against Kansas dating back to last season, but neither of those wins were in Lawrence.

A lack of shooting has caused Kansas' offense to sputter at times this season. Without the shooting necessary to stretch the opposing defense, driving lanes have disappeared for Harris and Kevin McCullar Jr. Another consequence of facing a compacted defensive unit is that it has often forced Dickinson and Adams to finish between a lot of traffic in the paint.

Kevin McCullar Jr. missed back-to-back games before returning to the lineup last week against Oklahoma. McCullar is battling a bone bruise in his knee and his performance has deteriorated slightly as a result, though he is still essential on both ends of the floor.

His status is questionable and likely won’t be determined until he goes through a warm-up prior to tip. If he were to miss this game, his absence, in my estimation, could mean as much as a 3.5-point swing for the Longhorns.

Both teams have had about as much rest as they could ask for at this time of year in preparation for this game. Kansas' offense struggles in the half-court at times, so the Jayhawks are likely to try to ratchet up defensive intensity to force turnovers and easy transition opportunities.

Texas should have some avenues to find scoring, even in a tough road environment. I expect this to be a higher-scoring game than a typical Big 12 rock fight, so I'm recommending taking the over here.

Pick: Over 143 (Play to 145.5)