Big 12 action is heating up and two teams gunning for the top spot clash on Monday night as the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks host the Texas Longhorns. Tipoff from iconic Allen Fieldhouse is set for 9 p.m. ET. Both schools are trailing the surprising Texas Tech Red Raiders, the lone undefeated team in the conference. Money has been coming in on Texas ahead of game time, with the Jayhawks favored by 6.5 in the latest Kansas vs. Texas odds after the spread opened at eight. The Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, has also fallen from 139.5 to 137.5. Before you make any Kansas vs. Texas picks and college basketball predictions, check out what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has raked in the winnings for those following its picks. Over the past two years, the SportsLine Projection Model has returned over $5,200 to $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks. And it entered Week 10 of the 2018-19 college basketball season on a strong 36-21 run on its top-rated picks against the spread. Anybody who has been following it is way up.
Now, the model has dialed in on Texas vs. Kansas. We can tell you it's leaning over, but it has also generated a point-spread pick that is cashing in nearly 60 percent of simulations. That pick is available only over at SportsLine.
The model has considered that Dedric Lawson is the spark plug that energizes the Jayhawks. The junior forward leads the way with 19.3 points per game on a squad that averages 79 nightly. He's also a strong rebounder, grabbing nearly 11 per outing. Lawson does it all. He can bring the ball up, post up and set killer screens. He's shooting 51 percent from the floor and 76 percent from the charity stripe.
While the loss of center Udoka Azubuike to a hand injury could have derailed Kansas, freshman Devon Dotson has filled in admirably. Just 6-foot-2, the guard plays much bigger than his height suggests. His quickness allows him to cut to the rim for easy jumpers and lay-ins, and he doesn't fear banging bodies with the bigs.
But just because the Jayhawks have plenty of weapons doesn't mean they're a lock to cover the Kansas vs. Texas spread.
The Longhorns are all about balance. Nine players average double-digit minutes per outing. Senior guard Kerwin Roach has upped his game recently. Tops on the team with 13.6 points per game, over the past two contests he's shooting 52 percent from the field. For the season, he's hauling in five boards and dishing 3.6 assists. Texas also makes the most of its possessions, taking care of the rock. The Longhorns turn the ball over just 12 times on the hardwood.
Texas' strength is its front-court duo of senior Dylan Osetkowski and freshman Jaxson Hayes. Osetkowski knows how to finesse his 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame into optimal position to grab rebounds. He's averaging 8.0 rebounds, but about three of them are on the offensive glass. Hayes, who nets 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, is one of the conference's most tremendous shot-blockers, averaging 2.5 swats.
Who wins Texas vs. Kansas? And which side of the spread can you bank on in nearly 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texas vs. Kansas spread you need to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $5,200 on its college basketball picks the past two years.
