The BYU Cougars are finding out that winning on the road in the Big 12 Conference is one of the most challenging tasks to accomplish in their first full season of conference play.
Tonight, that task gets much more difficult when the Cougars travel to Lawrence to take on the No. 7 ranked Kansas Jayhawks. BYU has lost four of its previous five away matchups and faces a Jayhawks team with a 14-0 record at the historic Allen Fieldhouse.
Who will win this Big 12 matchup? Join me as I look closer at the college basketball odds to bring you my free college basketball picks for BYU vs. Kansas on Tuesday, February 27.
BYU vs Kansas best odds
BYU vs Kansas picks and predictions
The BYU Cougars first season in the Big 12 Conference has been filled with peaks and valleys, but one of those valleys has been struggling to win a conference game on the road.
The Cougars have been in and out of the AP Top 25 for most of the season but have dropped four of their last five away games. The closest loss of the four was by seven points, but the other three away losses weren’t even close.
Tonight they’ll face a Kansas Jayhawks program undefeated at home this season. BYU will catch a break as Kansas will be without leading scorer and second-leading rebounder Kevin McCullar Jr., which could give the Cougars the edge they need to compete with the mighty Jayhawks.
BYU struggled on Saturday against Kansas State, but no Cougars player struggled more than junior guard Trevin Knell. The two points scored by Knell was his first single digit scoring night over his last five games, and I expect a bounce-back performance.
Before losing to Kansas State, Knell was the scoring catalyst for BYU. The Cougars racked up three victories over their previous four behind Knell’s double-digit scoring. Knell followed up those three strong scoring nights by posting a 1-for-4 shooting night from the field and 0-for-1 from downtown at K-State, and that hardly resembles the player who averages 11.3 points per game with 13 games of 11 points or more.
The Jayhawks' perimeter defense may aid Knell in clearing his scoring prop number — they allow 32% from downtown at home and face a BYU team that jacks up the second-most triples in D1.
Finally, Knell is draining 40% of his triple attempts and 47% from the field but, for whatever reason, has struggled to find his shot away from Provo. He’s cleared his 10.5-point scoring prop in half of his 26 games and three of his eight away games.
He has a great matchup against a Jayhawks defense that doesn’t defend shooters well inside or outside the arc, and I expect the junior guard to come out firing.
My best bet: Trevin Knell Over 10.5 points (+110 at DraftKings)
BYU vs Kansas same-game parlay
Trevin Knell Over 10.5 points
Noah Waterman Over 4.5 rebounds
Hunter Dickinson Under 11.5 rebounds
BYU is a terrific offensive-rebounding side, and the vast number of triples it attempts doesn't bode well for Kansas center Hunter Dickinson to snatch more than 11.5 boards. The All-American center averages 10.9 rebounds per night but has cleared that mark in just two of his last five.
One of the reasons why I like the Dickinson Under prop is because of BYU senior forward Noah Waterman. Waterman has cleared 4.5 rebounds in three of his previous five tilts and snared 4.5 boards or more 13 times this season. Kansas is a decent rebounding team but missing 6.4 boards without McCullar on the hardwood could create a door for Waterman to walk through and clear his number.
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BYU vs Kansas spread and Over/Under analysis
Kansas is 14-0 at home but just 7-6-1 against the spread. The Jayhawks are as much as 7.5-point favorites and as low as -6.5.
The craziest movement was at DraftKings where Kansas opened at -6 and dipped to -5.5 before finally rising to -7. That’s a big number to cover, but the Cougars are 1-7-0 ATS as the away team, and that's likely why bettors hammered the lower Kansas spread on the Boston-based bookmakers' board.
The Jayhawks -7 is a bunch of points to lay on a program that doesn’t defend the 3-point line very well, and BYU is a team that launches 32.5 triples per night. The Cougars average 32% from long range in the visitors’ jerseys and are coming off a miserable shooting afternoon from downtown at K-State, connecting on 19.4% from beyond the arc in a 10-point away loss.
Kansas isn’t a great rebounding team either, and one of the points of emphasis for BYU is crashing the offensive glass. Ir snagged 16 at K-State, and with the Jayhawks missing McCullar, the Jayhawks will have a battle on their hands and the Cougars could cover.
Under bettors will enjoy the 153.5 that FanDuel offers, and that number might be a dandy. BYU games have ended Under the total in half of its eight away matchups with a seasonal Over/Under record of 13-14-0 to the Under.
The Jayhawks are 12-14-1 to the Under this season, but the Under is 7-7-0 at Allen Fieldhouse. The 50-50 splits and lack of any real historical trends between the two make it hard to take a definitive stand on either side of this total, and that is why I am fading it.
BYU vs Kansas betting trend to know
Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog of 7.0-12.5. Find more college basketball betting trends for BYU vs. Kansas.
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BYU vs Kansas game info
| Location: | Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS |
| Date: | Tuesday, February 27, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN+, BIG12 Network |
BYU vs Kansas key injuries
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