🏀 Cincinnati vs. Kansas Prediction & Odds: College Basketball Picks Today (Feb. 21)

After several Darryn Peterson debates in the mainstream media this week, all eyes will be on how many second-half minutes the talented prospect plays when Kansas hosts Cincinnati at 1 p.m. ET (CBS) on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.

Following another early exit against Oklahoma State, Peterson has now logged single-digit second-half minutes in six of his 15 games.  It makes it difficult for our best sports betting sites to set fair lines, but my Cincinnati vs. Kansas prediction attempts to find some value as part of our college basketball predictions today.

🏀 Cincinnati vs. Kansas picks & odds today: Feb. 21

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 2.5 units | Max profit: 2.18 units

💰 Cincinnati vs. Kansas prediction & best bet

Kansas -10.5 (-110)

For all the attention surrounding Peterson, Kansas has proven to be a good team with or without him this season. In fact, five of KU’s rotation players have a higher plus-minus (via EvanMiya’s metrics) than Peterson this year.

Basically, the market has generally overrated Peterson’s individual impact, as evidenced by KU’s 8-3 record against the spread without him. The Jayhawks are 8-2 ATS over their past 10 games, in which Peterson has played 84 total second-half minutes.

KenPom projects a 12-point win for Kansas, and I think bettors are only getting value at DraftKings due to the uncertainty around Peterson.

Score prediction: Kansas 74, Cincinnati 60

🔥 Best Cincinnati vs. Kansas player prop bet

Flory Bidunga Over 13.5 points (-122)

I know I’ve spent much of this time talking about Peterson, but Kansas forward Flory Bidunga is the player I expect to have the biggest impact on Saturday.

Nobody will be happier than Bidunga to be back in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time in 12 days. He’s scored 19 total points over his last two road games, averaging 11.3 points away from home on the year. For comparison, Bidunga is averaging 16.9 points per contest in Lawrence.

This is a great bounce-back spot for Bidunga.

🚀 Cincinnati vs. Kansas same-game parlay

I’m targeting Flory Bidunga in my Cincinnati vs. Kansas same-game parlay. Because FanDuel is the only shop to offer Bidunga’s props as of this writing, I’m comfortable laying the -11.5 in a potential convincing victory for the Jayhawks.

💡 How I'm betting Cincinnati vs. Kansas

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

I feel comfortable allocating about 2.5 units to Saturday’s Cincinnati vs. Kansas game, with two units pregame and 0.5 units for a potential live play.

While this is a typical bankroll for a game I’ve researched, the allocation for a live angle is somewhat unique and entirely tied to Peterson. If he signals toward the bench early in the second half (like he did against OSU), I could see value in the live Under.

The Jayhawks have to work a bit harder to find offense without Peterson, which is probably why they average 37.5 points in the second half this year, compared to their first-half average of 38.7 points.

📊 Live Cincinnati vs. Kansas odds

Kansas opened as an 11.5-point favorite for Saturday’s home meeting with Cincinnati. Injury reports will be released Friday evening, but it’s unlikely that Peterson will be on it because Bill Self hasn’t listed him as questionable for much of the year. I’d be surprised if this line features much movement without Peterson news.

📈 Cincinnati vs. Kansas betting trends

📺 How to watch Cincinnati vs. Kansas

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
• Tipoff: 1 p.m. ET
• Location: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.)
• TV: CBS