NCAAB Brigham Young at No. 7 Kansas FREE PICK

As the college basketball season wraps its regular season, there’s a huge game in the Big 12 Tuesday night, now-unranked BYU Cougars (19-8, 7-7 conference) at No. 7 Kansas (21-6, 9-5).

Game time at Allen Fieldhouse (where Kansas is 14-0 this season) is 8 PM ET.  

BYU dropped two of its last three, the latest an 84-74 setback at Kansas St. this past Saturday. It was a porous defensive effort by the Cougars, as the Wildcats made more than 56 percent of their shots.

There were five Cougars in double figures, though small consolation.

BYU couldn’t build off a 78-71 home win over Baylor in its previous outing.

Kansas has won three of its last four, easily disposing of the visiting Texas Longhorns, 86-67, last Saturday. Hunter Dickinson (20 points, seven rebounds) led the way as the Jayhawks shot better than 61 percent against the ‘Horns.

Lines aren’t available, but once posted, please refer to college basketball odds.

Where They Stand

The final stretch before the March 12th-16th Big 12 tournament (Kansas City) finds the Kansas Jayhawks alone in third. They’re two games behind the conference-leading Houston Cougars. 

BYU sits in seventh (tied with Oklahoma) in its first season in the conference. 

Kansas is leading the all-time series, 4-1.

Cougars’ Rare Visit

BYU, falling out of the rankings this time around (it was No. 25 a week ago) hasn’t played at Allen Fieldhouse since 1971, but the Cougars invade Lawrence with one of the best offenses in the nation. BYU is averaging 82.8 points per game (14th in NCAA). 

Guard Jaxson Robinson leads coach Mark Pope’s team in scoring (13.9 points.game), one of five Cougars in double figures though he’s started just six games this season.

Obviously, there’s depth and balance with the Cougars, but there’s also inconsistency, evidenced by their break-even record in the conference. BYU’s second consecutive game in the Sunflower State comes with the task of putting forth a better defensive effort.    

Those Shorthanded Jayhawks

Invading BYU figures to provide a challenge, as coach Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks won’t be at full strength Tuesday evening.  

Guard Kevin McCullar Jr. continues to suffer with a bone bruise, and won’t play against the Cougars. The team’s leading scorer (19 points/gane) is missing a fifth game in the last eight.

The aforementioned Hunter Dickinson (18.3 points, 10.9 rebounds/game) is shooting 55.7 percent on a team that’s fifth in the country (49.8 percent) in field-goal accuracy.   

Jayhawks to Prevail

Kansas is 22-1 (+2200) to win the title, while Brigham Young is at 50-1 (+5000), as per college basketball championship odds. 

BYU has been quite competitive in its first Big 12 season, but lacking signature wins to this point. Winning in its first trip to the Phog since the Nixon administration Tuesday night certainly would qualify as one, and the Cougars are catching the Jayhawks without the scoring prowess of Kevin McCullar Jr. 

BYU is able to score, but somewhat defensively challenged (see last Saturday against Kansas St.). Meanwhile, the Jayhawks appear to be rounding into form, and are taken to take care of the visiting Cougars. 

Bet the Kansas Jayhawks in a game they figure to be sizable home favorites Tuesday evening.