Offense meets defense when the No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs (13-1, 1-1 Big 12) welcome the No. 10 Kansas Jayhawks (11-3, 1-1 Big 12) to Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena. The game starts at 9:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 6, 2018, and will air on ESPN2.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 161 points with Kansas set as a 1-point favorite.
Kansas Jayhawks vs. TCU Horned Frogs Free Prediction
In the Jayhawks’ last outing, they were defeated by the No. 18 Texas Tech Red Raiders, 85-73. Texas Tech’s rebounding was their biggest strength. The Red Raiders had 18 offensive rebounds and 44 total rebounds, while the Jayhawks had eight and 29, respectively. Devonte’ Graham was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points on 6-for-13 shooting.
The Horned Frogs barely escaped the Baylor Bears in their last game, 81-78. The Horned Frogs held the Bears to an effective field goal percentage of 0.436 (below their season average of 0.576) and had a free throw rate of 0.298 (above their season average of 0.262). Vladimir Brodziansky led TCU in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting.
This battle pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. TCU currently ranks 16th in offensive efficiency and Kansas ranks 54th in defensive efficiency. Furthermore, the Jayhawks rank 41st in turnover percentage (16.5 percent), while the Horned Frogs rank 253rd in opponents’ turnover percentage (18.1 percent).
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Udoka Azubuike (17.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks) has been stellar for the Jayhawks while Brodziansky (11.8 points and 1.8 blocks) has made solid contributions to the Horned Frogs.
After the Jayhawks won two out of three contests against the Horned Frogs last season, these teams will meet for the first time this year. In the last matchup, TCU won 85-82. The Horned Frogs had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (29.4 vs. 21.2) and had a better turnover percentage (17.1 vs. 18.1).
Kansas Jayhawks vs. TCU Horned Frogs Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Kansas, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Kansas averages 18.9 assists per game, which ranks eighth in the nation. TCU ranks 221st in assists allowed per game (16.4).
The Jayhawks average 26.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 38th in the NCAA. The Horned Frogs rank 191st in three pointers allowed per game (23.8).
TCU ranks 11th in rebounds allowed per game (30.1) while Kansas ranks 128th (34.8).
The Jayhawks rank 54th in blocks per game (4.4) while the Horned Frogs rank 84th in blocks allowed per game (3.3).
Kansas ranks 47th in steals per game (7.6) while TCU ranks 72nd in steals allowed per game (5.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Jayhawks’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.2, down from 18.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Horned Frogs have scored an average of 86.2 points per game (0.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 79.0 points per game (4.8 above their season average).
