Oklahoma State vs. Kansas Betting Line – College Basketball January 18
Carrie Stroup here and I have your Oklahoma State vs. Kansas betting line for Saturday January 18, 2014. Be sure to claim your FREE $100 BET at Sportsbook.com here and remember you can wager on every play of this game right up to the final minute with LIVE IN-PLAY BETTING.
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS (15-2) at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (12-4)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Kansas -5
No. 15 Kansas has things rolling in the Big 12, and has a chance to create some separation at the top of the conference when it hosts No. 9 Oklahoma State on Saturday.
This rivalry heated up last season, as both teams were able to go on the road and steal a victory. Cowboys PG Marcus Smart (17.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG. 4.2 APG) had a huge game in Lawrence last season, scoring 25 points with nine rebounds and five steals in the 85-80 victory that snapped KU's 33-game home win streak. Smart was especially dominating at the end of the game, grabbing many key rebounds for second-chance points. But the Jayhawks got their revenge 18 days later with a 68-67, double-overtime win in Stillwater. Add the fact that there was some off-court talk this season from Smart about Kansas star SF Andrew Wiggins (15.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG) and emotions are going to be very high on Saturday afternoon. The Cowboys (7-6 ATS) have had their struggles on the road (2-6 ATS away from home), especially during conference play, as they lost at Kansas State and had to hang on at 5.5-point underdog West Virginia for the one-point victory. The Cowboys offense has been the key to success this season, ranking 12th in the nation with 84.8 PPG, while shooting 49.0% FG (17th in Div. I). However, they will be going up against a Jayhawks team that has crushed its three Big 12 opponents by an average score of 84 to 71. More impressively, Kansas has shot 50% or better from the field in six of nine games since December began. The Jayhawks are 13-5 SU (9-9 ATS) in the past 18 matchups with Oklahoma State, and are 10-1 SU (7-4 ATS) in the past 11 home meetings with OSU.
Oklahoma State is as talented in the backcourt as anybody in the country, and it's just not the Marcus Smart show. The team holds an excellent 1.4 Ast/TO ratio with 14.4 APG and just 10.4 TOPG (23rd-fewest in nation). SG Markel Brown (16.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.9 APG) is one of the most athletic guards in the country, and has had some monster games against Kansas teams in his career. He averaged 24.0 PPG and 4.0 APG in the two games last season, including a 28-point outburst in Lawrence. He hit an impressive 7-of-10 three-pointers at Allen Fieldhouse, and was the reason why the Cowboys got off to a big lead. Brown and Smart are going to get their points, but another key player is swingman Le’Bryan Nash (13.5 PPG on 52% FG, 5.9 RPG). Nash is a supreme talent, but has too many games where he tends to disappear, including two lackluster games against the Jayhawks last season (7.5 PPG on 5-of-17 FG with 2.0 RPG). In the conference opener against Texas, Nash scored only two points, but has 15.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG in his past two contests. With his size and athleticism, he is going to be matched up against Andrew Wiggins a lot, and must have a big game. However, the biggest weakness of the Cowboys is their lack of frontcourt depth, and that will play a huge factor against a KU frontcourt that is playing as well as anybody in the country. The Cowboys have been outrebounded in six of their past nine games and lost C Michael Cobbins, who he was their best shot blocker (1.5 BPG) and only true post presence, to a season-ending Achilles injury. Sophomore C Kamari Murphy (5.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 BPG) will have to have a career game, as he will be matched up against freshman phenom Joel Embiid.
Andrew Wiggins got a lot of the talk as the top freshman in the nation, but he might not even be the best first-year player on his own team. PF Joel Embiid (10.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.6 BPG) has been absolutely dominant in conference play. In the Jayhawks' huge victory over Iowa State on Monday, Embiid took over in the second half to help KU pull away. He was a force on both ends of the court, finishing the game with 16 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. The only negatives were that fouled out and had seven turnovers, and he will have to fix that because the Cowboys can be lethal in the transition. Embiid also must control his emotions in this game. He has now received a flagrant foul in two consecutive games, which will prompt opposing teams to rattle the freshman. Another key contributor in the game against the Cyclones was PG Naadir Tharpe (9.0 PPG, 40% threes, 5.3 APG). While he is not the most talented Jayhawks player, the junior point guard is the lone veteran on the team, and he showed it with 23 points, six rebounds and four assists on Monday in Ames. When he is under control and making the right decisions (2.6 Ast/TO ratio), Kansas is nearly unbeatable.
The Jayhawks have not been a juggernaut on offense all season, as they rank 43rd in the nation in scoring (78.9 PPG), but have turned it on as of late with six 75-point games in the past seven contests, averaging 81.3 PPG during that stretch. Sophomore PF Perry Ellis (13.3 PPG on 56% FG, 6.7 RPG) and freshman SG Wayne Selden Jr. (10.1 PPG, 40% threes) give Kansas two more scorers that are capable of having big games. Ellis is a talented post player that can score all over the court, while Selden has stepped up his offense in Big 12 play, averaging 17.0 PPG on 53% FG in the three conference victories. Selden will be huge in this matchup as he will see a lot of time against Smart, and unlike most guards in the Big 12, Selden has the size and strength to compete with Smart. This one-on-one matchup could end up being a huge key in determining the outcome of this game. For the Jayhawks, they are the only undefeated team in Big 12 play. A win against the Cowboys, and KU could start to create some separation from its conference foes.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
