NCAA Basketball Odds: Kansas on Upset Alert at Missouri

KU's Cole Aldrich is the best center in the Big 12. (AP Images)

Saturday afternoon’s Border War between Kansas and Missouri certainly has the feel of a trap game for the No. 2 Jayhawks, as they already have the Big 12 title and a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament wrapped up – thus not a ton to play for. Mizzou, meanwhile, is a tremendous home team and looking to boost its potential seed in both the conference and NCAA tournament. KU has opened as a 3-point favorite on Bodog’s NCAA basketball odds.

The Tigers have just one home loss in the past two years – coming earlier this season to Texas A&M – and are a stellar 8-4 against ranked teams the past two years, including 2-0 this season at home. In fact, dating to the 2007-08 season, Mizzou has won four straight at home vs. ranked teams, including beating Kansas last year. The Tigers have won three of the past five in this series at Mizzou Arena and are 5-0 all-time at the arena on Senior Day (which Saturday is). No team plays faster than Missouri, which leads the nation with 11.1 steals per game and in turnovers forced (19.9). The Tigers can finish anywhere from second to fifth in the Big 12 depending on this weekend’s results.

Kansas has clinched its sixth straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title, but it’s Missouri and not Kansas that is the defending Big 12 Tournament champ. The Jayhawks handled Mizzou fairly easily back on Jan. 25 Lawrence, 84-65. Center Cole Aldrich dominated the paint in that one with 12 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocked shots. Missouri shot just 28 percent from the floor. KU freshman Xavier Henry was held to nine points in the first meeting but has been tearing it up of late, averaging 20.8 points in the past four. KU has only covered once in its past six games.

Bet on the Big 12 Tournament at Bodog