Texas Tech at Kansas college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Texas Tech Red Raiders at Kansas Jayhawks sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders (13-7) visit the Kansas Jayhawks (17-3) Saturday afternoon for a 4 p.m. ET tip-off in a Big 12 battle at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. We analyze the Texas Tech-Kansas odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

Texas Tech at Kansas: Three things you need to know

1. The Jayhawks, ranked third in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, have won five straight games and eight of their last nine. A staunch Kansas defense has held opponents to 60 or fewer points in eight of those nine games. Over that stretch, the Jayhawks have held foes to a 37% field-goal percentage while rebounding at an average margin of plus-5.

2. Texas Tech F Kevin McCullar is questionable (concussion) for this one. McCullar is TTU’s third-leading rebounder. Kansas already has a substantial rebounding edge in the game, and the Red Raiders can ill-afford a big-man injury and/or foul trouble.

3. The Red Raiders were at home their last two games. Texas Tech is 0-3 ATS the last three times they have played away from home after multiple games in Lubbock.


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Texas Tech at Kansas: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Kansas 70, Texas Tech 61

Moneyline (ML)

Kansas (-455) is a line with some value baked in. Kansas can score in such a variety of ways — from 24 feet and in and including uncontested 15-footers — and some computer ratings give the Jayhawks a 12-to-16-point edge in this late-afternoon tilt at Allen Fieldhouse. An expected slow pace favors the talent on the floor, and in that department, Kansas is loaded.

Take the -455 here with the value being that the Jayhawks have an 82% chance to win outright by any total.

Against the Spread (ATS)

The Red Raiders are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight road games against a team with a winning home record. Texas Tech is 2-6 ATS over their last eight games following a straight-up win.

KANSAS (-8.5, -115) is worth a line watch in conjunction with the above. The ATS number had some fluidity early. If it goes down to 8-or-lower, some half-and-half action is advisable.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Under is 14-5 when Kansas is favored and 6-4 in TTU games against winning teams. The UNDER 131.5 (-110) is a respectable number, though. There isn’t enough projectable leeway south of that figure to allow for some profit margin.

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