Oklahoma State vs. Kansas Predictions 2/14/22

When: Monday, February 14, 9 p.m.

Where: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kan.

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: OKST +10.5/KU -10.5 (EveryGame – Deposit $25, enter bonus code ROOKIE200 on their Special Offers page and they’ll give you a FREE $50 bet!)

Moneyline: OKST +450/KU -650

Total: 143.5

Last Time Out:

Oklahoma State handled West Virginia 81-58; Kansas bested Oklahoma 71-69.

About the Matchup:

Is Oklahoma State finished away from home? The Cowboys have picked up a couple of home wins over Oklahoma and West Virginia, but they’ve now lost six of their past seven away from Gallagher-Iba Arena, and they’re down to their final six games before the Big 12 tournament. There’s still plenty to play for from the Cowboys’ perspective, as they’re only going to postseason play with a Big 12 tournament title, and they’ve got to pull themselves up out of the bottom four in order to get a real chance to do that.

But now they’ve got to go to Lawrence and deal with a Kansas team that’s in control of its own fate as far as the league title is concerned. The Jayhawks have looked ordinary at times this year, such as in barely surviving against Oklahoma over the weekend, but when Kansas has wanted to be great, it’s been great. The Jayhawks were outstanding against Baylor, but they’ve followed that up with a loss to Texas and the aforementioned escape against Oklahoma, leading to a few questions coming back about the Jayhawks. This should be a win for Kansas, but whether the Jayhawks can cover is another question.

Scouting the Cowboys:

Is Oklahoma State even going to make a 3-pointer in this game? The Cowboys only sink 30.2 percent from behind the arc, and that’s with numbers included from Donovan Williams, who is the only Cowboy to shoot above 40% from behind the arc and hasn’t played since a Jan. 22 loss to Texas. The Cowboys really struggle with both their turnovers and their shooting, which is one of the biggest reasons why they don’t put up a lot of points.

The big thing that Oklahoma State has going for it is that the Cowboys play excellent defense and force 9.4 steals per game, which could come into play against the Jayhawks, who turn it over 13 times a game and have had some real problems taking care of the basketball at times. In fact, that’s probably the Cowboys’ best hope of a win here, given that the Jayhawks turned the ball over 22 times at Iowa State earlier this season. Oklahoma State is not going to win a shooting contest against the Jayhawks and is not likely to win the rebounding battle either. To win this game, the Cowboys have to force mistakes.

Scouting the Jayhawks:

I’m not sure whether it’s stubbornness, team rules, or fatigue, but for whatever reason, Kansas continues to not use David McCormack as well as it should. The Jayhawks have in McCormack someone who has been an excellent rebounder in years past, but they only played him 18 minutes against Oklahoma, and he was outrebounded by both Kansas guards in the win.
Although that was a win, it certainly wasn’t the kind of performance that anyone in crimson and blue will feel good about. The Jayhawks left far too many points at the free-throw line and allowed the Sooners to get plenty of good looks, leading to a game that was much tighter than it should have been. Without Kansas getting a ton of possessions, the Jayhawks will have to be much better with the ball when it comes to finding good shots in this game.

Oklahoma State will Cover If: The Cowboys can force the Jayhawks to beat themselves. Kansas will turn the ball over against a good defensive effort, and if Oklahoma State can force a few free possessions, the Cowboys have a shot at this one.

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Kansas will Cover If: The Jayhawks can win the battle on the glass. The Kansas interior game might have trouble getting the ball if ball handling comes into play, but if Jayhawk possessions result in shots and not turnovers, they’ll result in rebounds, where Kansas should excel.

Dan’s Best Prop Bets

Oklahoma State has been very inconsistent with its offense on the road, and the Cowboys are facing an elite 3-point defense in the Jayhawks. Kansas will likely come out to suffocate the Cowboys and prevent the deep shot, and that means unders.

Dan’s Pick to Cover the Spread

Kansas has the better roster and should be motivated to come out and put up a big number after barely squeezing by Oklahoma. The Jayhawks have the pieces in place to have a big day if they use them properly, and I think they will in this case. Give me Kansas to cover. Bet your Cowboys vs. Jayhawks pick and ALL your college basketball bets for FREE this week by takinga advantage of a 100% REAL CASH bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $1000 at Betnow Sportsbook!