The top 25 in college basketball looks a little odd this season, simply because we only have a couple of teams who are in there with an unbeaten record. Spending any amount of the time as the #1 seed in the nation has usually meant that a defeat is not that far around the corner, as the best teams in the country have all taken a loss after spending some time at the top. It certainly makes things interesting and unpredictable, which is good for the neutral fan, as well a making it a little bit tougher for those of us who like to handicap games and wager on college basketball.
We have what looked to be an interesting one on Wednesday night, with the #3 ranked Kansas Jayhawks hitting the road to go up against the Iowa State Cyclones in a Big 12 Conference matchup. This would seem like a game that Kansas should win going away, but you never really know what to expect in conference games. The bookies have the Jayhawks favored by 4 ½, with the point total set at 145 for this one.
Kansas vs Iowa State 2020 College Basketball Betting Lines & Preview
- When: Wednesday, January 8 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Hilton Coliseum, Ames
- TV: ESPN
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- College Basketball Betting Lines: Kansas -4.5 (Total 145)
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Why bet on the Kansas Jayhawks?
The Jayhawks are in as the #3 team in the country after posting an 11-2 record to start the season. They recently took a loss to Villanova, who are currently in the #16 spot, but they have bounced back from that quite nicely, posting back to back wins against Stanford and West Virginia.This will only be the second conference game of the season for the Jayhawks, who will be looking to improve to 2-0 in the Big 12 with a win here. That is going to be easier said than done, though, as the last 10 meetings between these two have been evenly split down the middle. The Jayhawks have failed to cover in each of their last 6 meetings with Iowa State and are just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games on the road overall.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 79.46
- Field Goal Percentage: 50.93
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.57
- Free Throw Percentage: 64.81
- Total Rebounds: 38.54
Defense
- Total Score: 61.62
- Field Goal Percentage: 37.27
- Three-Point Percentage: 28.93
- Free Throw Percentage: 67.36
- Total Rebounds: 31.85
Why bet on the Iowa State Cyclones?
The Iowa State Cyclones are having a bit of an up and down season to this point, sitting at 7-6 on the season through their first 13 games. They have now lost 3 of their last 4 games and saw their conference schedule get off to a losing start, going down 81-79 in OT against TCU in their last game.
The Cyclones will be looking to get back on track on home court, where they have gone 6-2 SU in their last 8 games in their own building. They have been a very decent bet at home against the Jayhawks, covering the spread in 4 of the last 5 visits from Kansas. The OVER has been a very decent bet in this matchup, to, with 12 of the last 18 meetings going OVER the point total.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 80.15
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.38
- Three-Point Percentage: 31.95
- Free Throw Percentage: 71.31
- Total Rebounds: 36.23
Defense
- Total Score: 71.38
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.26
- Three-Point Percentage: 36.15
- Free Throw Percentage: 64.97
- Total Rebounds: 38.54
h3>Kansas vs Iowa State 2020 College Basketball Betting Trends
- Jayhawks are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Big 12 conference
- Jayhawks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas’ last 5 games played in January
- Cyclones are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games at home
- Cyclones are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Big 12 conference
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iowa State’s last 5 games played on a Wednesday
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Kansas vs Iowa State
Given the recent meetings between the Jayhawks and the Cyclones, all signs would seem to point toward Iowa State covering the spread, but the harsh reality is that they are struggling right now. I am taking Kansas to win and cover, plus I also like the OVER.Score: Kansas Jayhawks 78 – Iowa State Cyclones 72
