Tarleton vs Kansas Odds, Lines, and Spread (Nov. 12)
- #3 Kansas is a 25.5-point home favorite over Tarleton State on Friday night
- Kansas opened the season with a win over Michigan State in the Champions Classic
- A look at the matchups and odds can be found below with a prediction
Third-ranked Kansas will look to build on an impressive season-opening win when it hosts Tarleton State at 9:00 pm ET, Friday, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.
Kansas beat Michigan State 87-74 on Tuesday night at the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York. The same evening, Tarleton State dropped a 62-50 decision to Stanford on the road.
In a game that will be televised on ESPN+, the Jayhawks are sizeable home favorites.
Tarleton State vs Kansas Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarleton State | +2000 | +25.5 (-118) | Over 137.5 (-106) |
| Kansas | -30000 | -25.5 (-104) | Under 137.5 (-114) |
Odds as of November 11th at FanDuel.
Tarleton Hangs Tough
Tarleton State was competitive against a Power Five program in its first game of the year.
The Texans led 26-24 at halftime and stretched the lead to 35-28 a little more than five minutes into the second half.
The Jack Attack is Back 😈
Jonathan Jackson Jr. slams it home and Stanford needs to talk about it! Tarleton leading Stanford in the second half in Palo Alto 😤#TexanNation x @ESPNAssignDesk pic.twitter.com/JnlweVr7Gj
— Tarleton Men's Basketball (@TarletonMBB) November 10, 2021
However, Stanford countered with 11 straight points to start a 26-4 run that put the Cardinal comfortably ahead 54-39.
Montre Gibson scored 15 points to lead Tarleton State and fellow senior guard Tahj Small added 11 points and eight rebounds. Another senior guard, Shakur Daniel, chipped in with 10 points.
Tarleton State shot just three free throws and made only one while Stanford was 16 for 22 from the foul line. The Texans, who are coached by former Kentucky and Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie, were whistled for 20 fouls to the Cardinal’s 11.
This is Tarleton State’s second season as a provisional member of Division I after making the jump from D2 last season and going 10-10. However, five of those wins came against non-D1 schools.
Gibson was Tarleton State’s top scorer last season with an average of 15.0 points and 3.0 assists a game. The Texans finished the season with three straight wins in Western Athletic Conference play.
Gibson was a highly regarded high school player.
Montre Gibson has ice in his veins! TIE GAME @whataburger_bbt @areacodes @trigonis30 @usatodayhss @Rivals @MaxPreps pic.twitter.com/WCQnIbUmm6
— PlayHoops (@playhoops) December 30, 2017
Strong Start for Agbaji
Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji returned for his senior season after initially declaring for the NBA Draft in the spring. That was welcome news for the Jayhawks as Agbaji scorched Michigan State for a career-high 29 points while shooting 9 of 17 from the field.
Last season, Agbaji topped Kansas in scoring with 14.1 points a game. His previous career best was 26 points against Oklahoma in last season’s Big 12 Tournament.
Christian Braun lobs it up to Ochai Agbaji for the slam 😤
Agbaji is up to 25 pts in the Champions Classic! pic.twitter.com/zGvbVakFG7
— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2021
Senior guard Remy Martin had a solid game in his first game at Kansas after transferring from Arizona State. The three-time All-Pac 12 performer had 15 points and six rebounds.
Senior forward David McCormack added 10 points.
Kansas will again be without sophomore forward Jalen Wilson, who is suspended for the first three games of the season following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Wilson was the Jayhawks’ leading rebounder last season, and they missed his presence Tuesday as Michigan State held a 35-29 edge on the boards.
Wilson can still rebound in warmups, at least.
Jalen Wilson is in sweats before the game helping rebound for his squad. #kubball pic.twitter.com/Yrfjp5DahF
— Sam Lance (@slancehoops) November 3, 2021
Kansas had just eight turnovers while forcing Michigan State into 16.
The win came after Kansas had an ugly end to last season, getting drilled 85-51 by USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to finish with a 21-9 record.
Tarleton State-Kansas Prediction
The schools were scheduled to meet for the first time ever last season, but the game was cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns.
So, Tarleton State will get a crack at being a giant killer this season in Kansas’ home opener. While the Texans hung tough against Stanford, they are taking a step up against the Jayhawks.
As good as Kansas looked in its first game, the choice in this game is laying the big number.
The Pick: Kansas -25.5 (-104)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
