How to Watch No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 Kansas: Times, TV, Betting Odds

It’s set to be one of the best college basketball games of the season as the defending champion UConn Huskies head to Lawrence to take on the Kansas Jayhawks in a clash of top-five programs. 

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Let’s take a look at Friday night’s matchup, including tip times, television coverage, betting odds, and the best bet for the game:

• TV: ESPN2 | Streaming: ESPN App
• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET  |  Location: Allen Fieldhouse – Lawrence, KS

• Spread: UConn +2.5 (-105) | Kansas -2.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: UConn (+126) | Kansas (-152)
• Total: OVER 147.5 (-110) | UNDER 147.5 (-110)

Despite the big names in this matchup, it will come down to the benches. There are so many elite starters that will cancel each other out that the benches have the opportunity to determine who takes home the win. We’re willing to give that advantage to UConn so far as Kansas continues to hash out its rotation. Towson transfer Nicolas Timberlake and blue-chip freshman Elmarko Jackson have struggled to provide the level of production the Jayhawks had been hoping for, leaving head coach Bill Self with a core four of high-level studs and then a bunch of dudes. As for the Huskies, they have seen some quality minutes come from bench pieces in Samson Johnson and Hassan Diarra. Add in the hot start to the season for freshman Solomon Ball, who has been thrust into the lineup due to the injury to fellow freshman Stephon Castle, and this is a deep UConn roster.

Foul trouble is another way the Jayhawks could be exploited in this matchup. They rank ninth in the nation in two-foul first-half participation rate, and if any of their core four find themselves with two early fouls, it’ll make them an easy target for the Huskies. The Jayhawks feel like they are entering this matchup crutching on preseason projections and might not be as good as we had initially hoped. UConn continues to produce results, and we don’t see it stopping here. Take the points and the Huskies on Friday night.

The Bet: UConn +2.5 (-105)

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