It’s been a rough start to the Big 12 campaign for the Cincinnati Bearcats, who have dropped each of their first three games in conference play. And now here comes Kansas, which has won four of its last five, and enters the Shoemaker Center as a 1.5-point favorite at Sportsbook in Saturday’s contest in the Queen City.
The No. 11 Jayhawks (11-3 outright) have covered in all four victories over that span, including in consecutive Big 12 games against Central Florida—which they hammered by 51 as a 5.5-point road favorite—and Arizona State. The Bearcats (10-4) have covered in just two of their last nine, falling by five to 2.5-point underdog Arizona in their most recent conference home game, and by 20 at Baylor their last time out.
Kansas vs Cincinnati Odds Today
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas Jayhawks | -1.5 (-104) | -113 | O135.5 (-110) |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | +1.5 (-118) | -106 | U135.5 (-110) |
Odds as of January 11 at Sportsbook
Kansas vs Cincinnati Picks Today
Kansas -1.5 (-104) & UNDER 135.5 (-110) at Sportsbook
Despite a powerful starting lineup that can match up against any in the country, Kansas has had some head-scratching moments—like a loss to Missouri (42nd at KenPom.com) and a New Year’s Eve home loss to 13.5-point underdog West Virginia in its conference opener. But the Jayhawks remain a team that’s beaten both North Carolina and Duke, has the two top scorers in the Big 12, and has covered in six of their last nine.
Cincinnati last season made a habit of losing close games, and they’ve picked up right where they left off—falling to Villanova by two as a 4-point favorite, losing by three at Kansas State as a 4-point favorite, and then suffering the five-point loss to Arizona before the blowout at Baylor. The Bearcats have covered in just two of their last nine games, their best win is over a Dayton team that’s in freefall, and they’ve yet to beat a team in Quad 1 of the NCAA’s NET rankings.
The Bearcats are deep, with four double-digit scorers and 10 players who see quality minutes. But they attempt lots of 3s (second in the league) and don’t make enough of them (12th in 3-point percentage). They have a quality rim protector in 7-foot Aziz Bandaogo, but Kansas counters with 7-2 Hunter Dickinson, who leads the league with 10.9 boards per game. Everything Cincy does well, Kansas does a little better.
You like the UNDER? This is your game. The Jayhawks have gone UNDER the total in 13 of their 14 games to this point, a 92.9 percent clip that leads the nation according to data at TeamRankings.com. Kansas hasn’t allowed an opponent more than 62 points since early December, key to its recent turnaround. The Bearcats meanwhile have gone UNDER in 12 of 14 games, an 85.7 percent rate that ranks third nationally. Those trends speak for themselves.
Kansas vs Cincinnati Prop Bet Today
Cincinnati Team Total UNDER 67.5 (-104) at Sportsbook
While the Jayhawks and Bearcats are both strong defensively (they rank fourth and 11th, respectively, in defensive efficiency at KenPom), Cincinnati’s offense is iffy at best. Cincy hasn’t hit for more than 68 points against a power-conference team since mid-November, and it managed just 48 last time out in a woeful shooting night at Baylor. This one is at home, but against a better team that’s playing lock-down defense at the moment.
Kansas vs Cincinnati Betting Trends
- Cincinnati is 3-5 ATS this season as a home favorite
- Kansas is 1-0 ATS this season as an underdog
- Cincinnati is 0-3 ATS this season in Big 12 games
