The Big 12 has been one of the deepest conferences in NCAA basketball this season, which means the No. 2 seed Kansas Jayhawks won't have an easy time when they tangle with the No. 7 seed Oklahoma Sooners in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament on Thursday.
Here are our best free Oklahoma vs. Kansas picks and predictions for college basketball betting action on Thursday, March 11, with tipoff at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Oklahoma Sooners vs Kansas Jayhawks odds
Sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonKansas hit FanDuel's odds board this morning as a 3-point favorite and quickly moved to -2.5, where the line remains shortly before a 6:30 p.m. ET tipoff. The Jayhawks are taking 72 percent of tickets and money on the point spread. The total opened at 137, rose to 138 and is now down to 135, even though the Over is grabbing a massive 91 percent of bets/88 percent of cash.
Check out the full line movement for this gameOklahoma Sooners vs Kansas Jayhawks betting preview
Injuries
Oklahoma: None.
Kansas: David McCormack F (Out), Tristan Enaruna G (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Under is 5-1 in Jayhawks' last 6 overall. Find more NCAA betting trends for Oklahoma vs. Kansas.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Sooners opened the Big 12 Tournament with a 79-73 win against Iowa State on Wednesday night. While beating a 2-22 Cyclones team is nothing to write home about, it at least gives them a breather after losing four games in a row to close out the regular season.
If you aren't impressed by the Sooners' victory over the Cyclones you'll be even less impressed with the Jayhawks when you realize that their previous win came against the University of Texas-El Paso Miners last Thursday – and that they trailed for almost the entire game.
Now the Jayhawks have another problem to worry about with big man David McCormack and guard Tristan Enaruna out for the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols. The 6-foot-10, 265-pound McCormack was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding (13.4 points and 6.4 boards per game) and the Jayhawks will miss his presence inside.
Keep in mind that these two squads split the head-to-head series this season and when the Jayhawks won 63-59 at home in January, they did so thanks to a game-winning shot by McCormack, who poured in 17 points.
The Sooners are experienced and deep with four players averaging double figures, led by do-everything guard Austin Reaves, who paces the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game. They rarely make mistakes with the ball, ranking seventh in the country in turnovers per play, and they hit their free throws at a 74.4-percent clip, good for the second-best mark in the conference.
Oklahoma's biggest weakness has been its size and rebounding, which will be far less of an issue with McCormack out of commission. Back the underdogs with the points.
PREDICTION: Oklahoma +3 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
Bill Self's teams are known for their strong defensive play and this year's version of Kansas is no different. Led by Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection Marcus Garrett, the Jayhawks limit foes to 65 points per game on just 39.8 percent shooting.
Oklahoma has been solid on the defensive end of the floor as well, limiting foes to a field goal percentage of 41.9 percent. And the Sooners also play at a slow pace, ranking outside the Top-200 schools in the country in adjusted tempo according to KemPom.
The Jayhawks also have a tendency to play lower-scoring contests against quality opponents, going 13-4-1 to the Under in their last 18 games against teams with a winning record. Take the Under again.
PREDICTION: Under 138 (-110)
Oklahoma Sooners vs Kansas Jayhawks betting card
- Oklahoma +3 (-110)
- Under 138 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NCAA Oklahoma vs. Kansas picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on college basketball?
You can bet on college basketball odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NCAA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of prop odds. Head over to our best sportsbooks for college basketball betting in your area.
