The Kansas State Wildcats (13-8) will have a tough time bringing their five-game road losing streak to an end when they take on the No. 7-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (17-4), who have won 13 in a row at home. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 3 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 69-64 win against Ole Miss on Saturday. D.J. Johnson led the game in scoring with 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Kansas, a heavy 10-point favorite, takes on Kansas State. The Jayhawks enter the game with records of 17-4 Straight Up (SU) and 11-8 Against The Spread (ATS). The Jayhawks are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .485 from the field. Kansas is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 16.5 assists per game.
Across the court, Kansas State has a SU record of 13-8 and an ATS record of 12-5-1. Most recently, Kansas State is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. The Wildcats are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 7.6 steals per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference foes played, Kansas State won, but the win was not enough to overtake Kansas in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Jayhawks also have the advantage ATS. Kansas held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Kansas State never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Kansas
Notes
Kansas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
Kansas is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games.
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Kansas is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games when playing Kansas State.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas’s last 6 games when playing Kansas State.
Kansas holds a 5-3 SU record against the Big 12 Conference this season, while Kansas State has a subpar 2-6 SU record against the conference.
The Kansas Jayhawks have a defensive rating of 97.1 (ranked 58th), while the Kansas State Wildcats have an offensive rating of 104.2 (ranked 212th).
The Kansas Jayhawks have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 20th in the nation with a FG% of 48.5%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Kansas State Wildcats are winless with a 0-4 record.
On average, the Kansas Jayhawks attempt 19.0 three point field goals per game and the Kansas State Wildcats attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Kansas has a tremendous 9-2 record, while Kansas State is 4-3.
Kansas ranks 35th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.37. Kansas State is ranked lower at 176th with an A/TO of 1.05.
Kansas ranks 41st in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Kansas State ranks 36th.
On average, Kansas forces a turnover rate of 19.3%. When Kansas State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 8-4 record.
