Oklahoma (11-1) at Kansas (11-1)
When: Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019
Where: Allen Fieldhouse,
Lawrence, Kansas
Time: 9:00 ET | TV: ESPN2
Opening Odds: Kansas -10/148
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The Big 12 Conference regular season championship in basketball always runs through Lawrence, Kansas and the home town Jayhawks will begin their quest for a 15th straight title when they host the Oklahoma Sooners to begin conference play on Wednesday night. Allen Fieldhouse has been a house of horrors for opposing teams since Bill Self took over as head coach, going 116-8 during his 16 years including an 8-0 start this season. The sixth-ranked Jayhawks, who have won 27 consecutive conference openers, welcomed back center Udoka Azubuike after missing three weeks with an ankle injury. He recorded a team-leading 23 points and nine rebounds in an 87-63 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday. Getting the big man back in time for conference play will be key to Kansas’ success over the next few months. While KU is coming off a game on Saturday, the Sooners will return from a 12-day holiday break after finishing non-conference play with a 76-69 overtime win against Northwestern on December 21st – Oklahoma’s seventh straight victory. They are led by leading scorer Christian James (17.9 points per game), who had an off night against Northwestern, going 2-for-10 from three-point range and 5-for-21 overall en route to just 12 points. Kansas leads the all-time series 147-67 and have taken 18 of the last 21 meetings.
With James struggling from the floor versus Northwestern, the Sooners got a boost from their bench including Kristian Doolittle, who finished with team highs of 14 points and nine rebounds, while Rashard Odomes scored all 13 of his points in the first half. Oklahoma had been shooting the longball well until they ran into the Wildcats, going 5-for-21 to drop their season percentage down to 36.9. The Sooners lead the Big 12 in rebounding with 43.2 per game, and have held their opponents to just 37.5 percent shooting – 11th best in the country.
Azubuike did most of his damage in the first half versus Eastern Michigan, scoring 14 of his 23 points on 6-of-8 shooting, helping the Jayhawks to shoot 17-for-26 (65.4 percent). The Eagles managed more offensive rebounds than Kansas (19-9), but still outscored the Eastern on second-chance points, 12-7. Dedric Lawson is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double this season with 10.8 rebounds and 19.6 points.
These teams may have the same record, but Kansas is supremely more talented and with Azubuike back, are pretty dominant. Kansas will outclass this OU team and win by double-digits.
Pick: Kansas -8
- Sooners are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Sooners are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Sooners are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Sooners are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
- Sooners are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
- Sooners are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Sooners are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
- Sooners are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Sooners are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. Big 12.
- Jayhawks are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 vs. Big 12.
- Jayhawks are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Jayhawks are 35-16-2 ATS in their last 53 Wednesday games.
- Jayhawks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Jayhawks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Jayhawks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 9-3 in Sooners last 12 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 9-3 in Sooners last 12 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 8-3 in Sooners last 11 overall.
- Under is 13-6 in Sooners last 19 Wednesday games.
- Under is 7-1 in Jayhawks last 8 Wednesday games.
- Over is 12-2 in Jayhawks last 14 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Jayhawks last 7 vs. Big 12.
- Over is 7-2 in Jayhawks last 9 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Over is 18-6-2 in Jayhawks last 26 overall.
- Over is 15-5-1 in Jayhawks last 21 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 11-4-1 in Jayhawks last 16 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 7-3 in Jayhawks last 10 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Over is 35-17-2 in Jayhawks last 54 home games.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Kansas.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
