Texas vs Kansas Odds & Picks for 2023 Big 12 Title Game
By Eric Rosales in College Basketball
Published:
- The Kansas Jayhawks are 2-pont favorites vs Texas in the Big 12 Tournament Final on Saturday
- This will be the third meeting between these schools this season
- See below for the latest Texas vs Kansas odds, plus analysis and best bets
Battle-tested in the college basketball’s toughest conference, there was already no doubt that the 7th-ranked Texas Longhorns (25-8, 12-6 Big 12) and no. 3 Kansas Jayhawks (27-6, 13-5 Big 12) were both dancing in March.
One of them will enter as Big 12 Tournament Champion when they square off in the final.
This one gets underway Saturday (March 11) at 6pm ET from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. You can watch the game live on ESPN/ESPN+.
Texas vs Kansas Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Texas Longhorns
|
+2 (-105) | +110 | Ov 142.5 (-110) |
|
Kansas Jayhawks
|
-2 (-115) | -130 | Un 142.5 (-110) |
The Jayhawks enter as 2-point favorites and -130 on the moneyline, an implied win probability of 56.52%. The game also features a total of 142.5.
This will be the third meeting between the teams this season, having the split the previous two.
Even with that trophy secured, either winner will only have an outside chance at securing a top seed. SBD’s projected March Madness bracket has KU as a 2-seed, with Texas predicted as a 3-seed.
Odds as of Mar 11 at DraftKings.Â
Texas vs Kansas Betting Analysis
The Longhorns have put their opponents in a defensive vice at the Big 12 Tournament.
After a 61-47 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the quarterfinal, they led wire-to-wire in a 66-60 win over the TCU Horned Frogs.
Texas held TCU to 21-for-59 shooting from the field, just a 35.6% clip, but the game was close as Texas could not find the mark from three-point range, hitting on just two of 16 attempts, getting outscored by 18 points.
Dylan Disu’s block starts the fast break for Marcus Carr to put home the lay-up! pic.twitter.com/YzUgTNRoRV
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) March 11, 2023
They were powered by Dylan Disu, who had 15 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks, and Christian Bishop, who came off the bench to add 15 of his own, with seven boards and three blocks.
Overall, Texas is ranked ninth in KenPom, with top-20 numbers in both offensive efficiency (12th) and defensive efficiency (18th).
In their 75-59 win over Kansas on March 4, reserve Sir’Jabari Rice led the team in scoring with 23 points and seven rebounds, with Tyrese Hunter adding 20 points and three assists. Texas held Kansas to their 3rd-lowest scoring output of the season.
Texas vs Kansas Head-to-Head
| 7 | AP Rank | 3 |
| 25-8 | Season Record | 27-6 |
| 78.3 | Points per Game | 75.7 |
| 68.0 | Points Against per Game | 68.0 |
| 52.7% | Effective FG% | 52.7% |
| 47.9% | Opponent Effective FG% | 46.9% |
Right above them in KenPom’s rankings are the Jayhawks in the 8-spot. Kansas’ defensive efficiency ranks sixth, and they are 25th on the offensive efficiency metric.
KU has lived up to their top billing in the Big 12 Tourney, with double-digit wins over West Virginia (78-61) in the quarterfinals, followed by Friday night’s 71-58, 13-point thumping of the Iowa State Cyclones.
Jalen Wilson had a game-high 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting, with 10 rebounds and three steals against Iowa State. It’s the fourth straight game he’s led the ‘Hawks in scoring.
Jalen Wilson – The *Unanimous* Player of the Year 👑
📺 @ESPN #Big12MBB x @KUHoops pic.twitter.com/aQlT5CsWCm
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 11, 2023
Gradey Dick chipped in with 15 points, five boards and three steals. Dajuan Harris Jr was the other player to finish in double-digit scoring with 11 points, adding six assists and four steals.
Kansas backers would probably tell you the loss to Texas was a throwaway, as KU had already clinched the regular season crown. The Jayhawks won the February 6 matchup 88-80, when things were theoretically still up for grabs.
Dick led the team in scoring with 21 points, one of four Jayhawks starters to score in double figures. Harris Jr had 17 points, six boards, five assists and four steals.
Texas vs Kansas Prediction
We’re looking at two evenly matched teams that are playing some solid basketball at the right time of year.
Texas has gone 4-0 against the spread in their last four, and they’re also 4-0 ATS vs teams with a winning record. The Jayhawks are right there, too, going 5-1 ATS in their last six against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.
The betting favorite has also gone 3-1-1 ATS in the last five head-to-heads.
I think the best target here is the total. Kansas is one of the premier defenses in basketball, and Texas’ D has been lights out in this tournament. Both teams aren’t heavily reliant on the three-ball either — Texas is shooting 26.4% for the tournament, 33.3% for KU.
That should make for a lot of half court offense, and should tighten up as we get closer to the finish.
Texas’ last four games have gone under the total, while the last six Kansas games have fallen under the total.
Pick:
- UNDER 142.5 points (-110)
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
