Kansas vs. Cincinnati: Predictions, odds, and how to watch Big 12 tournament game
The Big 12 conference tournament is here featuring six of the top 25 teams in the country. Fourteen teams entered the tournament to determine the winner and help a few programs make a final push before Selection Sunday. Wednesday's Big 12 action finishes up with No. 17 Kansas (22-9, 10-8 Big 12) taking on Cincinnati (19-13, 8-11).
The Jayhawks enter their conference tournament opener after a rough finish to the regular season. An eight-point loss to BYU at home preceded another eight-point loss on the road to Baylor. A big win over Kansas State at home was the lone bright spot before a 76-46 drubbing at the hands of Big 12 regular season champion No. 1-ranked Houston.
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Kansas coach Bill Self said Monday on the "Hawk Talk" radio show that Kansas' top scorers Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. will not play in the Big 12 tournament. They're expected to be ready for the NCAA tournament but Self wants to be cautious.
Cincinnati enters Wednesday's game off a 90-85 win over last-placed West Virginia on Tuesday. Guard Simas Lukosius had a career-high 31 points for the Bearcats' second consecutive win, both against West Virginia. Cincinnati is solid on defense and crash the boards hard, led by 7-foot forward Aziz Bandaogo. They rank 23rd in the country in rebounds per game with 39.7 and have won three of their last four games.
The winner of this game moves on to play No. 13 Baylor (22-9, 11-7) Thursday night.
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The Oklahoman: Cincinnati 71, Kansas 70
Justin Martinez writes: "Kansas has lost three of its last four games, and this is the lowest seed it has ever been in the 28-year history of the Big 12 tournament. To make matters worse, All-Big 12 first-team selections Hunter Dickinson (shoulder) and Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) are at risk of missing time in Kansas City. It's the perfect storm for a scrappy Cincinnati team to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament."
Heartland College Sports: Cincinnati 75, Kansas 70
Matthew Postins says: "It’s hard to be optimistic about Kansas’ chances here. The Jayhawks know they’re in the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats need this win to help their credentials. The Bearcats also got the bad mojo out against WVU and they played Kansas hard in Lawrence back in January. While I put nothing past Kansas, Cincinnati moves on."
Winners and Whiners: Cincinnati -1.5
Michael Briggs writes: "The Bearcats are likely to dominate on the boards. They outrebounded the Jayhawks 40-29 with 16 offensive rebounds earlier this season — and that was with Dickinson and McCullar Jr. on the court... Cincinnati [has] plenty of juice heading into this matchup with smaller, injury-riddled Kansas. While there are unknown factors to consider on both sides, I'm betting on the team with the confidence and size advantage."
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Big 12 men's basketball tournament: Kansas vs. Cincinnati odds
The Bearcats are favored to get a win against the Jayhawks Wednesday in their second tournament game, according to BetMGM odds.
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Spread: Cincinnati (-1.5)
Moneyline: n/a
Over/under: 137.5
How to watch Kansas vs. Cincinnati
Game day: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Game time: 9:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN2
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Arena: T-Mobile Center
Live stream: Watch on Fubo; ESPN+
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas vs. Cincinnati: Predictions and odds for Big 12 tournament game
