The No. 6-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (20-4) travel to Oklahoma to play the No. 3-ranked Sooners (20-3) in a game that has the potential to be high-scoring. The game starts at 2:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 13 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Sooners won a close one over Texas 63-60 in their last matchup. Buddy Hield led all scorers on the team with 27 points on 7-for-18 shooting. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 75-65 win against West Virginia in their last game. Perry Ellis was the game’s top scorer, registering 21 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
Over the last five games, Isaiah Cousins has really been playing well for the Sooners, averaging 16.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers.
This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as Oklahoma ranks 23rd in the nation in offensive efficiency (115.3), while Kansas is 19th (116.2). Also, the sweet-shooting offense of the Jayhawks ranks 13th in eFG% at 55.9%, while the Sooners are 34th-best in the nation at forcing opponents’ misses (45.5%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Jayhawks won the first game 109-106. Despite the loss, Hield was a top performer in the game with 46 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and eight three-pointers.
The Sooners come into this game 20-3 Straight Up (SU) and 10-11 Against The Spread (ATS). Oklahoma has some room to improve after their below-average performances recently. In the last 10 games, Oklahoma has only averaged 73.4 points per game compared to the 84.1 they’ve averaged on the season. The Sooners are an impressive shooting team from three-point range with a Division I-best .451 three-point field goal percentage. Turning to the defensive side, opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Sooners, ranking eighth in the country in blocks per game with 5.8.
In the other locker room, the Jayhawks have records of 14-8 ATS and 20-4 SU. While Kansas has gone 3-7 ATS over its past 10 matchups, they’ve excelled SU with a record of 8-2. They sport the 12th-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 83.0 points per game. The Jayhawks have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 27.7 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top teams in the nation.
The Jayhawks’ win over Oklahoma in their last clash brought their SU record in their most recent games to 8-2. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, Kansas has the advantage ATS. Kansas has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) two times over the last five matchups. Oklahoma has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Kansas
Notes
“Oklahoma is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games “.
“Oklahoma is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma’s last 6 games “.
“Oklahoma is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home”.
“Oklahoma is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oklahoma’s last 10 games at home”.
“Oklahoma is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Kansas”.
“Oklahoma is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games when playing Kansas”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma’s last 5 games when playing Kansas”.
“Oklahoma is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas”.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma’s last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas”.
Oklahoma is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 84.1 points per game (ranked eighth). Kansas allows 68.7 points per game (ranked 97th).
Kansas has allowed an average of 71.2 points per away game this season. Oklahoma averages 85.8 points per home game, ranking 16th in scoring.
The Oklahoma Sooners rank 23rd for their offensive rating of 115.3. The Kansas Jayhawks have a defensive rating of 96.3 (ranked 41st).
The Oklahoma Sooners average 73.0 possessions per game and 1.153 points per possession, while the Kansas Jayhawks earn fewer possessions (71.4) but more points per possession (1.162).
Kansas has an average effective field goal percentage of 55.9%, ranked 13th in the nation. Oklahoma is a winning 2-1 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Oklahoma ranks 48th in assists, recording 15.8 per game. Kansas ranks 30th with 16.3 assists per game.
Oklahoma, the eighth-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.8 per game. Kansas ranks 96th with 4.1.
Oklahoma ranks 198th in offensive rebounds, while Kansas ranks 44th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Oklahoma makes 7.2 steals per game. Kansas has a formidable 8-2 record when it gives up at least 7 steals.
