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Two heavyweight blue bloods square off in the Big 12 Championship Game as the Texas Longhorns duel it out with the Kansas Jayhawks. Join us for our Big 12 Tournament odds series where our Texas-Kansas prediction and pick will be revealed.
The Longhorns are fresh off a resounding 66-60 win over TCU in which they overcame shooting 14% from three-point range to bury their in-state foes. With a possible top seed on the line for the Longhorns, can Texas win their first Big 12 Championship Tournament since 2021?
As for the Jayhawks, Kansas put on a show and pounded the Iowa State Cyclones in a 13-point victory en route to the title game. Certainly, Kansas is playing for much more than winning the Big 12 Tournament, as KU could end up securing the number-one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament with a decisive win over the Longhorns this afternoon.
Here are the Texas-Kansas college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Texas-Kansas Odds
Texas: +2.5 (-115)
Kansas: -2.5 (-105)
Over: 142.5 (-105
Under: 142.5 (-115)
How To Watch Texas vs. Kansas
TV: ESPN
Stream: WatchESPN
Time: 6:00 ET/3:00 PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Texas Could Cover The Spread
Over the course of the last few games, it has been Texas' defensive prowess that has had the last laugh. Of course, TCU did end up shooting a balmy 42% from behind the arc, but the Longhorns made things count in critical moments by forcing the Horned Frogs to 14 turnovers and also surrendering only two-made shots by TCU in the final four minutes of play.
Not only will the Longhorns have to stand tall one last time on the defensive end in today's Big 12 Championship showdown, but getting key contributions from the bench and its most unlikely of heroes will need to be in order. With forward Timmy Allen missing the last two games with a leg injury and is listed as day-to-day at the moment, be on the lookout for guys like Christian Bishop and Dylan Disu to step up in their increased roles if Allen can't give it a go.
At some point, Texas is going to need more scoring production from their top scorer in Marcus Carr. Currently in the midst of a lengthy shooting slump, Carr went 3/15 from the field versus TCU and struggled to get anything going offensively. If Carr continues to have a hard time finding his touch with the basketball, then defeating Kansas and also covering the spread will prove to be a tough task.
Why Kansas Could Cover The Spread
The defending champs do so many of the little things right, as the Jayhawks are as disciplined as they come while on the hardwood. Even more impressive has been the fact that Kansas has managed to reel off wins in this tournament without the services of their head coach Bill Self who remains hospitalized after undergoing an emergency procedure. While Self is in good spirits, his availability is up in the air for Kansas' championship defense starting next week. Nevertheless, the Jayhawks have shown great resilience thus far by coming together for their coach.
If there is one thing that makes this Jayhawks squad so dangerous, it is through their relentlessness on the offensive and defensive glass. Ranked as the second-best rebounding team in the conference during the regular season, Kansas has big bodies down low that can get after the basketball off of misses. Without a doubt, Texas has some pretty impressive length in the front court, so it will be extremely important for the Jayhawks to find a way to eliminate the Longhorns' second-chance abilities after they miss their first shot.
Clearly, the one player that exists on this roster that needs to go absolutely berserk is junior forward Jalen Wilson. Not only has Wilson led the Jayhawks in scoring over the last four games, but he has also recorded a double-double in back-to-back games of the tournament. As a whole, Texas must also respect Wilson's three-point shooting from the perimeter as he has averaged roughly around 33% from beyond the arc this season. Although this isn't a hefty mark, it is just enough for Wilson to keep opposing defenses honest.
Final Texas-Kansas Prediction & Pick
This is what college basketball is all about! No doubt, these two teams represent the best of what the Big 12 has to offer and it is only fitting that the two sides are clashing in the championship game after splitting the two meetings during the regular season. At the end of the day, it will be the Jayhawks that take advantage of some dry spells offensively by Texas as Kansas will put the clamps down on defense when it matters most.
Final Texas-Kansas Prediction & Pick: Kansas -2.5 (-105)
