Wichita State vs Kansas Odds, Pick for Saturday

Below, we have Wichita State vs Kansas odds and a pick for Saturday.

Conference play is almost here, but a few neutral site battles still dot the Saturday schedule. That includes a Sunflower State showdown in Kansas City between the big brother Kansas Jayhawks and upstart Wichita State Shockers.

This meeting marks the first time the two have squared off since the 2015 NCAA tournament. In that one, a homegrown Shockers squad stunned the vaunted Jayhawks with a second-round shellacking. That was the year after Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker started 35-0 – but that duo helped fuel the Kansas upset.

This is, of course, an entirely different era in Shocker hoops. Paul Mills is just 12 games into his Wichita tenure, leaning on a big batch of transfers in his debut campaign.

On the other hand, Kansas remains Kansas. Sitting in their familiar perch in the AP Poll’s top five, the Jayhawks, once again, look like a national title contender on the backs of a dominant four-man nucleus. Depth and shooting questions persist, but KU remains a juggernaut under Bill Self.

The pieces are there for Wichita State. The Shockers have a couple of wing scorers (Xavier Bell and Colby Rogers) and a versatile offensive big (Kenny Pohto). They also have a wiry shutdown wing defender (Harlond Beverly) and a monster shot-blocker (Quincy Ballard).

The problem has been getting them all to come together under a brand-new coach. The offense has struggled mightily, largely due to a lack of shooting and shaky point guard play.

Mills is hoping that a few of the Shockers’ major weaknesses have been solved, though. A glaring lack of depth had been forcing Mills to rely heavily on his top seven players, but reinforcements have arrived.

Wing/forward Ronnie DeGray III became eligible as a two-time transfer. He adds another bigger defender who can spend some time guarding Kevin McCullar Jr. The former Missouri Tiger likely has a healthy dislike for Kansas already.

Former Oklahoma guard Bijan Cortes fits that bill as well after playing in the Big 12. He's now academically eligible with the conclusion of fall semester.

The clever Cortes infuses more ball-handling and on-ball harassment to the lineup. He can shift Bell and Beverly off the ball more, as both were somewhat miscast as lead guards.

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KU’s top four players form arguably the best core in the country.

Hunter Dickinson is dominating the paint after arriving from Michigan. McCullar is playing at an All-American level on both ends of the floor. And Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams Jr. are perfect complementary players, terrific passers and elite defenders at their respective spots.

The struggle has been filling in the rotation around them. Prized freshman Elmarko Jackson and heralded transfer Nicolas Timberlake were expected to blossom as 3-and-D wings, but neither player has offered much shooting.

Timberlake did have a potential breakout game last time out against Yale, though, posting 13 points in a season-high 29 minutes.

Freshmen Johnny Furphy and Jamari McDowell have given KU some sparks off the bench, but they bring their own shortcomings (Furphy on defense, McDowell on offense).

Notably, KU has struggled as a big favorite. The Jayhawks have been a double-digit favorite seven times this year, going 2-4-1 against the number (they're 0-4-1 in their last five). Even the push against Yale required a serious late run to salvage.

The offense’s droughts have made it hard to cover big numbers against teams KU cannot fully out-athlete. Wichita State qualifies there.

As terrific as KU’s core is, the Jayhawks' offense can be defended. Thanks to a lack of shooting, foes can sag into the paint and double Dickinson. The cramped spacing sometimes mucks up the passing lanes for a team loaded with fantastic distributors.

KU is good enough to win despite these issues, but covering big numbers is a taller task. Considering Wichita State should be mega-focused for a duel with a neighboring state school, this game should remain competitive throughout.

What's especially helpful is Wichita’s newfound depth via DeGray and Cortes. The Shockers can now comfortably go nine deep, a major benefit given the possibility of foul trouble in a hostile environment.

With Ballard protecting the rim — along with several athletic wings — Wichita State should be able to force Kansas to score over the top.

That should limit KU’s offense enough for the Shockers to stay inside the number.

Pick: Wichita State +13 (Play to +10.5)

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