College basketball picks: Arizona vs. Kansas odds, predictions, best bets for Monday, Feb. 9
The Wildcats and Jayhawks meet Monday in one of the biggest college basketball games of the regular season
Two of the best teams in college basketball this season square off Monday, Feb. 9 in a high-stakes Big 12 clash when the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats head to Lawrence to take on the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks. The Wildcats are coming off a 37-point win over Oklahoma State and have won four of their last five games by double digits, while the Jayhawks have won seven in a row with their most recent triumph coming over Utah. Kansas is two games behind Arizona in the Big 12 conference standings.
The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, enters Week 15 on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season. Here's are look at the model's picks for No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 11 Kansas.
Arizona vs. Kansas model picks for Feb. 9
Arizona -2.5
The line opened at Arizona -2.5, moved down to Arizona -1.5 and then jumped back to the original. Even though the Wildcats have struggled at times on the road this season, they are still undefeated and have passed key tests at UConn and BYU. Kansas has been exceptional during its winning streak, taking down Iowa State, BYU and Texas Tech. The Wildcats cover the spread in 54% of simulations.
Arizona money line
It's hard to pick against a team which hasn't lost a game yet this season. Kansas is surging at the right time and Darryn Peterson (20.5 ppg) appears to have found his groove after battling minor injuries here and there for most of the season. The Jayhawks are also at home, where they have lost just once this season and historically tend to pull off big wins. However, the model believes Arizona is going to keep its undefeated season alive as the Wildcats win in 59% of simulations.
Under 154.5
Given how good both teams are defensively, it's not surprising to see the Under hitting in 57.5% of model simulations. Arizona is second in KenPom defensive efficiency while Kansas is seventh. The Wildcats allow 67.6 points per game and Kansas is slightly better, ceding 67.3 points per game. This could be another slow, defensive-minded game from both teams with plenty at stake.
