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No. 13 Kansas hosts UNLV on Sunday
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Published: 1/4/2015  at  4:24:00 AM
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UNLV REBELS (9-4)

at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (10-2)

Allen Fieldhouse - Lawrence, KS
Tip-off: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET
Line: Kansas -13.5

No. 13 Kansas looks for another tough non-conference victory when it hosts UNLV on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks (6-5 ATS) aren’t the same team they were last season, but head coach Bill Self has done a great job of righting the ship to be 10-2 entering this game. Things looked very bleak after a 32-point loss to Kentucky in the second game of the season, but Kansas then ripped off eight straight wins before a shocking 77-52 blowout loss at Temple. The team got back in the win column on Tuesday with a 16-point win over Kent State, and will try to build that momentum into its final non-conference game of the season. The Jayhawks are 10-2 ATS (83%) in the past three seasons at home after having won 5 or 6 of their previous seven games. The Rebels (6-6 ATS) are 5-2 SU (4-2 ATS) in their past seven games, including a 71-67 win over then-No. 3 Arizona on Dec. 23. But they are 0-2 SU in two true road games, losing by 22 at Arizona State and by five in their most recent game Wednesday at Wyoming, and Kansas has not lost at home since Jan. 5 of last season. But UNLV has already done something Kansas could not, beating Temple 57-50 on Nov. 22. The team is also 12-4 ATS (75%) in the past two seasons on the road versus poor pressure defenses (forcing 14 or less TO per game). The Rebels could be without PF Goodluck Okonoboh (knee) for this matchup, while the Jayhawks continue to be without SG Devonte Graham, who is out another 2-to-3 weeks with a toe injury.

Can Kansas cover the hefty spread on Sunday? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The experts have caught fire since Dec. 23, combining for a 63% ATS mark (29-17) in college basketball Best Bets. StatFox Gary is 8-1 ATS during this timeframe to improve to 67% ATS (26-13) for the season, while StatFox Scott is on an 8-2 ATS Best Bets run since Dec. 23. StatFox Zach and StatFox Brian are both 54% ATS (21-18) on college hoops Best Bets this season.

The Rebels are looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Wyoming on Wednesday, when they couldn't hold onto a four-point halftime lead. UNLV is a solid team in many areas, but it is the ability to dominate on the glass (38.9 RPG, 46th in nation) that has this team as a legitimate contender in the Mountain West Conference. The team also ranks 115th in shooting (44.9% FG), 144th in assists (13.4 APG) and 158th in scoring (68.9 PPG). UNLV is 5-0 when reaching at least 72 points, but averages only 58.0 PPG in its four losses. The defense allows 63.5 PPG (123rd in nation) on a low 37.5% FG thanks to 7.2 blocks per game (5th in NCAA). But the school picks up only 5.2 steals per game, which ranks 302nd in the nation. The Rebels have one of the best scoring duos in the MWC, with SG Rashad Vaughn (17.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and PF Christian Wood (15.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.0 BPG), who can both take over a game. Vaughn has scored at least 16 points in six straight games (19.7 PPG), and Wood has netted 22+ points in the past three contests (25.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG), including 29 points in the loss to Wyoming. For UNLV to be in this game, it will have to get big contributions from either SG Patrick McCaw (7.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG) or PG Cody Doolin (6.9 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.2 RPG, 38% threes). For Doolin, this is a great opportunity as he was raised in St. Louis, which is not too far from Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks haven't been as potent on the offensive end of the court as they usually are under Bill Self, but there have been some signs that the offense is getting things figured out. Kansas ranks 52nd in the nation in rebounding (38.7 RPG), 119th in scoring (70.8 PPG), 184th in assists (12.8 APG), and 237th in shooting (42.4% FG). The Jayhawks haven't been outstanding on defense either, surrendering 64.8 PPG (149th in NCAA) on 42.0% FG for the season, and 67.6 PPG on 44.7% FG in the past five games. His numbers aren’t huge yet, but freshman SG Kelly Oubre Jr. (6.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG in 14.2 MPG) is starting to show glimpses of his gaudy potential. In his past three games, Oubre is averaging 17.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG. At 6-foot-7, he is a very difficult player to match up with. Oubre has the ability to get to the basket with his tremendous length, but he also has a nice shot from the perimeter (48% threes). If Oubre is able to keep scoring from the outside, that will make things easier for PF Perry Ellis (12.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 APG), PG Frank Mason III (11.9 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.8 RPG, 53% threes) and SG Wayne Selden Jr. (8.8 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.1 RPG). Mason had a strong freshman campaign, but he has been even better this season, with a current streak of nine straight games with 10+ points.


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