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Texas vs. Kansas Odds, Picks, Predictions College Basketball: Will Jayhawks Bounce Back?

Shane Jackson

Last Updated: February 6, 2023 12:28 PM EST • 2 min 61 sec read.

Joseph Yesufu of the Kansas Jayhawks takes a 3-point shot as Gabe Kalscheur of the Iowa State Cyclones defends in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 4, 2023 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 68-53 over the Kansas Jayhawks.
Joseph Yesufu of the Kansas Jayhawks takes a 3-point shot as Gabe Kalscheur of the Iowa State Cyclones defends in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 4, 2023 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 68-53 over the Kansas Jayhawks. Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images via AFP.

Kansas suffered a lopsided loss to Iowa State on Saturday but must respond against a hot Texas team to stay in the thick of the Big 12 race. Read on for our Kansas vs. Texas college basketball picks based on the top NCAAB odds.

Head coach Bill Self’s Jayhawks (18-5, 6-4 Big 12) have lost four of their last six games and desperately need to hold serve at home against a surging Texas team on Big Monday. The Longhorns (19-4, 8-2 Big 12) come to Lawrence 10th in the AP poll and as winners of seven of their last nine games.

Since the Big 12 champion typically finishes 14-4 or 13-5 in conference play, these are the type of matchups that could go a long way in determining the league race. Kansas is favored by more than a possession ahead of this contest at Allen Fieldhouse.

Here is our best Kansas vs. Texas college basketball pick (odds via Caesars Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale)

Check out our college basketball best bets for Monday and our best March Madness betting sites.

Texas vs. Kansas pick

Kansas Under 75.5 points (-105 via Caesars) vs. Texas ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It is tempting to take the points with a Texas team that just simply might be the best in the conference, but Allen Fieldhouse is the ultimate equalizer. Kansas just plays better in Lawrence, as evidenced by last week’s 90-78 victory over Kansas State to get revenge in a rivalry matchup.

That said, I do have concerns regarding the Jayhawks, particularly on the offensive end. They committed 20 turnovers in Saturday’s loss to Iowa State, and have had turnover issues in most of their defeats this season. That doesn’t bode well against a Texas team that is third in the Big 12 in turnover rate since league play began and 27th in the country with a defensive turnover rate of 22.6%.

Teams have figured out how to defend Kansas this season, especially in Big 12 play. Opponents will face guard freshman sharpshooter Gradey Dick while playing drop coverage on pick-and-rolls between K.J. Adams Jr. and Dajuan Harris Jr. This has resulted in the Jalen Wilson show, who has scored 20-plus points in six consecutive games. Bettors could look to the prop market for this game, as Wilson has a line of 20.5 points after sitting at 19.5 prior to Monday's matchup.

But we prefer playing KU’s team total since I project the hosts to score about 72 in a win. There is also an avenue to cashing this Under if Texas ultimately prevails, as the Longhorns are 27th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and have held their opponent to 75 points or fewer in all eight Big 12 victories this year.

Check out our best March Madness odds and Wooden Award odds.

Texas vs. Kansas best odds

Caesars (-105)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
U75.5U75.5NAU75.5NA
-120-112NA-105NA

Only three of our five top-rated sportsbooks even have a line for KU’s team total as of Monday morning, with Caesars offering the best price at -105 for the Under. It is worth noting that Pinnacle has this line listed at 74.5 at the time of this writing, which perhaps indicates where this line should settle.

We would play this down 75 before passing on this prop entirely, though feel free to eat as much as -120 juice at anything 75 or higher. ShotQuality projects a 71-69 victory for the Jayhawks, so expect a defensive battle on Big Monday.

Texas vs. Kansas odds

Texas vs. Kansas odds analysis

Kansas opened as a 3.5-point favorite and is actually now laying -4 across the board, despite the recent form from both teams. BetMGM is still sitting at 3.5, but a bettor would have to pay the -115 juice to take the favorite. 

The total opened at 147.5 before falling to 146.5 at most shops. Barstool Sportsbook is still hanging a 147 for those wishing to follow the market and take the Under. 

Entering Monday's Big 12 battle, Texas is 10-13 against the spread and 12-9-2 to the Over. Kansas has a 9-14 ATS clip and is 13-10 to the Over on the year.

Texas vs. Kansas game info

  • Date: Monday, Feb. 6, 9 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS

Texas-Kansas pick made 2/6/2023 at 11:15 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Shane Jackson
After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Kansas in 2017, Shane Jackson covered college sports for a few years before moving to Las Vegas to pursue a career in sports betting. He created sports betting content for WynnBET and served as a sports gambling content director for Bet Chicago Sports. Shane’s favorite sports to watch and bet on are NFL, college football, college basketball, NBA, WNBA, and golf. Follow Shane on Twitter (@SJacksonBET) to get access to all of his betting analysis.