Kentucky Wildcats at Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview/Prop Pick

Saturday night showcases two of college basketballs best teams going at it. The No.12 Kentucky Wildcats will face off against the No.5 Kansas Jayhawks.

Kentucky is coming off an 82-74 win over Mississippi State and will look to earn its seventeenth win. Led by Oscar Tshiebwe, the Kentucky Wildcats will have their hands full against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Kansas has had quite the series of wins themselves. They've won five straight games and can make it six with a win over Kentucky. Both Kentucky and Kansas have some of the best offenses in college basketball.

This game will come down to who can play the best defense and the best rebounding team. Kansas comes in as five-point favorites, so who should you pick?

Kentucky Wildcats: Top-shelf defense can win them this one

The Kentucky Wildcats have an incredible defense, allowing only 64.25 points per game. This defense can be the driving force behind them winning this game. Their offense ranks among the top ten in college basketball, averaging 82.25 points per game.

As they prepare to face the Jayhawks, one player should be the main focus, Ochai Agbaji. They'll need to stop him today.

Agbaji averages 21.3 points per game and shoots 52.7% from the field. For Kentucky to get ahead in this game, all eyes need to be on Agbaji.

Slowing his production will be key to a Wildcats win. On their offensive side, the Wildcats Oscar Tshiebwe will need to get better scoring opportunities. With great defense and solid shooting, the Wildcats can win this game. 

Kansas Jayhawks: Ochai Agbaji is the key to a win

It's no secret that Agbaji is the Jayhawks' best player on the team. Considering it's not a secret, they'll need to find ways to get him scoring opportunities. Kansas has the No.12 scoring offense in college basketball, averaging 81.53 points per game.

With one of the best offenses in the NCAA, the Jayhawks still need to focus on defense. Stopping Kentucky's offense isn't easy.

On average, the Jayhawks defense allows 67.95 points per game. In order to shut down the Wildcats, they'll need to keep them out of the paint. The Wildcats shoot 49.69% from the field; if the Jayhawks can't keep them out of the paint, they'll lose this one.

When looking at the spread, you start to wonder whether the Jayhawks can cover five points. Let's take a closer look below.

Our pick for the Kentucky Wildcats at Kansas Jayhawks

Over their last ten meetings between each other, Kansas has a slight edge at 6-4. However, when it comes to the spread, Kentucky leads the charge at 6-4.

This season, neither of these teams have been great against the spread. Kentucky is 9-11 ATS, and Kansas is 8-11. Considering that neither team is great against the spread, this one is a tough call.

However, the Wildcats have a great defense and a remarkable offense. If they're able to stop Ochai Agbaji, the Wildcats can easily keep this game close. It's a five-point spread, so we'll go with Kentucky over Kansas in this one. 

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Kentucky +5, UNDER

Prop Pick

Kansas (-110) UNDER 78.5 Points

Kentucky is allowing 64.3 points per game on defense, which ranks No. 46 in the nation. Scores have gone UNDER in four of the Wildcats' last five road games.

With Dunkel predicting a Kentucky victory by the score of 75-74, take the Jayhawks (-110) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 78.5 points against the Wildcats.

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