The No. 2-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (8-1) will attempt to extend a seven-game winning streak when they match up with the Montana Grizzlies (4-5) at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The game starts at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Dec. 19 and will air on ES3.
The Jayhawks were victorious over Oregon State 82-67 in their last game. Frank Mason III played well, finishing with 18 points, six assists, and three steals for the Jayhawks. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-59 win over University of Great Falls in their last outing. Martin Breunig led the game in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting.
Kansas is a heavy 23-point favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is set at 147 points. The Jayhawks enter the game with records of 8-1 Straight Up (SU) and 5-2 Against The Spread (ATS). The Jayhawks come into the game with the nation’s 50th-ranked home scoring offense, averaging 87.0 points per game on their own court. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Kansas, which ranks 18th at 1.59. Turning to the defensive side, the Jayhawks are 30th in the country in steals with 8.4 per game. Montana has a habit of getting in foul trouble (22.3 fouls per game), so expect the Jayhawks to get a number of opportunities from the free throw line.
Across the court, Montana has a SU record of 4-5 and an ATS record of 4-3.
This game marks the first time Kansas and Montana have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Kansas, O/U – Over
Notes
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Kansas is one of the top-scoring teams, averaging 90.0 points per game (ranked third). Montana allows 66.8 points per game (ranked 92nd).
Montana won its last game by a 20-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Kansas is 5-0. Montana is 2-2 in blowouts this season.
The Kansas Jayhawks have a defensive rating of 93.3 (ranked 47th), while the Montana Grizzlies have an offensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 263rd).
Kansas has an average field goal percentage of 52.2%, ranked sixth in the country. Montana is undefeated (1-0) when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Kansas Jayhawks average 19.0 three point attempts per game, and the Montana Grizzlies attempt 20.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, Kansas is a perfect 5-0, while Montana also has a winning record (4-2).
The Kansas Jayhawks rank 18th with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.59, while the Montana Grizzlies rank outside the top 100 (207th) with an A/TO of .99.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 20.7% when playing Montana this season. Kansas is undefeated this season (1-0) when its TO% is 20.7% or higher.
