Our Cincinnati vs. Kansas prediction based on the best college basketball odds from our best sports betting apps assesses whether the Jayhawks will bounce back from another ugly loss during Monday's home battle against the Bearcats.
Just when it looked like Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks had found something with a new starting lineup, they suffered another inexcusable road loss during Big 12 play. Kansas is now 3-2 in conference action following Saturday's 91-85 defeat at West Virginia, with most of its toughest league matchups scheduled for February.
Meanwhile, Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati comes into town with a 2-3 record to begin league play, and it's fresh off a 69-65 home loss to Oklahoma. The Bearcats face a motivated Kansas team for their first trip to Allen Fieldhouse since joining the league. But is that enough to warrant the large spread for Monday's matchup?< /p>
Here is our best Cincinnati vs. Kansas prediction and our college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Cincinnati vs. Kansas prediction
There's always a chance the Jayhawks feed off the energy of their home crowd and run the Bearcats out of the gym. But you're paying a premium at this price, and it's entirely based on KU's reputation rather than what the team has done during 2023-24.
The underlying metrics suggest Kansas isn't nearly as good as its overall resume. The Jayhawks are 18th in Kenpom's latest overall ratings, ranking 26th in both offensive and defensive efficiency. This team could very well secure a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament, but it doesn't possess the profile of a true contender.
The market has been maintaining too much faith in the Jayhawks all season. They're 7-10 against the spread while failing to cover in seven of their last 10 games. That's why we're pushing back on the idea that this spread should have climbed two points in KU's favor since opening lines were released overnight.
Kenpom projects a 76-70 victory for Kansas on Monday. Both Bart Torvik and Evan Miya believe KU will notch a seven-point win, while Haslametrics makes the margin the lowest at five points. No projection is counting on the Jayhawks to record a double-digit win, and we won't either. That simply hasn't been a good bet during 2023-24.
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Cincinnati vs. Kansas best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | BetRivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati +8.5 | Cincinnati +9.5 | Cincinnati +8.5 | Cincinnati +8.5 | Cincinnati +8.5 | Cincinnati +9 |
| -110 | -122 | -105 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Our best sports betting apps let the spread touch as high as +9 before bumping it down to a consensus 8.5-point spread. That's why we're taking advantage of a bargain at BetRivers, though the visiting team is worth taking at +8.5 or better.
We prefer paying the -110 odds for +9 as opposed to the -122 to get +9.5 via FanDuel. These lines would be considered equal at -120 vig on the 9.5-point spread, according to Unabated's line comparison calculator. Don't fall for FanDuel's bait.
Cincinnati vs. Kansas odds
Cincinnati vs. Kansas odds analysis
The market has bought into the idea that the Jayhawks will bounce back at home, as the line opened at Kansas -7 and has since been pushed up to -9 across our best sports betting sites. We expect the spread to close at about -8, so Cincinnati bettors will wan t to take advantage of the best line before it's too late.
The total started at 145.5 and has climbed up to 146.5 via our best sportsbooks.
Cincinnati vs. Kansas game info
- When: Monday, Jan. 22 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS
- How to watch: ESPN
Cincinnati-Kansas prediction made Monday at 10:15 a.m. ET.
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- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
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* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Live Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)