The No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks look to build on their momentum as they head to Boulder for a clash against the Colorado Buffaloes tonight.
The Jayhawks have been an ATS gold mine on first-half spreads, and my Kansas vs. Colorado predictions and college basketball picks expect that to continue.
Kansas vs Colorado prediction
Kansas vs Colorado best bet: Kansas first half -2 (-115)
At first glance, this looks like an easy play on the Kansas Jayhawks, who are fresh off blowout wins against Baylor and No. 9 Iowa State. Especially since the Colorado Buffaloes have lost five of their last seven games, including three in a row.
That said, this could be a letdown spot for Kansas, and playing at elevation gives Colorado one of the biggest home-court advantages in college hoops.
The Buffs are 9-2 at home with the only losses coming in razor-close games against No. 12 Texas Tech and Northern Colorado, who also play at altitude.
Kansas might gas out down the stretch, especially since superstar guard Darryn Peterson (22.2 ppg on 50/41/83 shooting splits) has seen limited minutes in the second half of games due to cramping.
While I'm reluctant to play the Jayhawks on the full-game spread, I like them on the first-half spread, which is sitting at just -2. After all, they're still the vastly better team on both ends of the floor and have looked like a title contender with Peterson in the lineup.
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Kansas vs Colorado same-game parlay
The Buffs have been held below 72 points in three straight games while shooting just 41.2% from the field over that span. They'll struggle to score against a Kansas squad that ranks 13th in adjusted defense and seventh in opponent eFG% (44.5%).
Colorado ranks 124th in the country in adjusted defense — the third-worst number among Big 12 schools. That should lead to plenty of assists for Melvin Council Jr., who leads Kansas with 4.9 apg and has dropped 4+ dimes in 14 of 18 games this season.
Kansas vs Colorado SGP
- Kansas first half -2
- Colorado team total Under 76.5
- Melvin Council Jr. Over 3.5 assists
Our beyond the arc SGP: Close game in Colorado
Since I expect a strong start from the Jayhawks but think they could fade in the second half, that gives us a nice non-correlated multiplier for our longshot SGP.
Let's take Kansas on the first-half moneyline along with Colorado on the full-game spread at +4.5. Add in the Under 156 with the Jayhawks playing at a slower pace and relying on their defense, and we get a tidy +1050 payout.
Kansas vs Colorado SGP
- Kansas first-half moneyline
- Colorado +4.5
- Under 156
Kansas vs Colorado odds
- Spread: Kansas -4.5 | Colorado +4.5
- Moneyline: Kansas -200 | Colorado +165
- Over/Under: Over 156 | Under 156
Kansas vs Colorado betting trend to know
The Jayhawks have covered the first-half spread in 22 of their last 35 games for +7.0 units and a 17% ROI, while the Buffs have only covered the first-half spread in 13 of their last 36 contests for -13.65 units and a -33% ROI. Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. Colorado.
How to watch Kansas vs Colorado
| Location | CU Events Center, Boulder, CO |
| Date | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 11:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Kansas vs Colorado key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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