The Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Kansas Jayhawks. Check out our Big 12 championship odds series for our Cincinnati Kansas prediction and pick. Find how to watch Cincinnati Kansas.
The Kansas Jayhawks are not favored to beat Cincinnati in this game. When you look at the Big 12 Tournament bracket and see that Cincinnati is the No. 11 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, and that Kansas is the No. 6 seed, you might wonder how that is humanly possible.
The answer is not complicated: Kansas will be without its two best players in this game, Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar. Missing one of the two is a notable loss. Missing both players is substantial enough to completely change the betting calculus of this game. Kansas and head coach Bill Self are hoping that Dickinson and McCullar, with a full week off, will be healthy enough to play in the NCAA Tournament next week. That's the plan for the Jayhawks. Nothing is guaranteed, but with at least eight days, possibly nine, to recuperate, the timetable might be on KU's side, and the Jayhawks can enter the Big Dance with their best guys on the dance floor. Right now, though, Kansas has to play shorthanded and entrust less-proven players with more minutes against Cincinnati.
The Bearcats were down 16 points in the second half of Tuesday's opening round in the Big 12 Tournament against West Virginia, but they rallied to win and keep their hopes of an automatic bid alive. Getting Kansas without its two best players is a real opportunity for UC, which has a chance to make the Big 12 quarterfinals and see how deep a run it can make in the bracket. Cincinnati will give everything it has in this game; it's a real test for the Kansas bench, which has not been a strength for the Jayhawks this year.
Here are the Cincinnati-Kansas Big 12 Championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Big 12 Championship Odds: Cincinnati-Kansas Odds
Cincinnati Bearcats: -2.5 (-106)
Kansas Jayhawks: +2.5 (-114)
Over: 137.5 (-110)
Under: 137.5 (-110)
How To Watch Cincinnati vs Kansas
Time: 9:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm PT
TV: ESPN2, ESPN Plus
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Cincinnati Could Cover the Spread
The Bearcats know they have a huge chance to advance in the bracket and make a deep run at the Big 12 Tournament. Kansas is a greatly diminished team without Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar. The Jayhawks do not have a deep team or a high-quality bench. This is their Achilles Heel. Cincinnati can expose that point of weakness and cover the spread as a slight favorite.
It is also worth noting that Cincinnati, after erasing a 16-point deficit to beat West Virginia on Tuesday, will likely feel energized and liberated by its huge comeback. Teams which escape on days when they didn't play well often come back the next day with a revived attitude and approach. Cincinnati's approach to this game should be thoroughly positive, and that should help the Bearcats' bid for a victory.
Why Kansas Could Cover the Spread
The Jayhawks are not underdogs often. Coach Bill Self is going to turn to his bench and give his reserves a pep talk about being disrespected and devalued. Those reserves have a ton to prove in this game. Players who haven't played extended minutes very often this season will finally get more playing time. It's a real opportunity for a lot of different Kansas players who will be hugely motivated. This could translate into a surprisingly good KU performance and an outright win.
Final Cincinnati-Kansas Prediction & Pick
The injury uncertainties on the Kansas side make this a game no one should try to touch. No, you don't want to bet money on this game.
Final Cincinnati-Kansas Prediction & Pick: Kansas +2.5
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