Kansas vs Kentucky Picks and Prediction for Tuesday November 10 2026
Kansas and Kentucky meet Tuesday night at the United Center in Chicago, with ESPN carrying the 9:30 PM ET game. It’s the second half of the Champions Classic, and both teams are 2-0. Kansas is favored by 5.5 points, with the total at 155.5. The Jayhawks have looked awfully good through two games. Kentucky has won twice as well, but the Wildcats had a little more trouble than expected against James Madison. I think Kansas wins. I’m just not convinced the Jayhawks should be laying almost six points in a game like this. That’s asking a little more. Get ready for all the action with our free college basketball picks.
Kansas Hasn’t Had Much Trouble Yet
Kansas is 2-0 after beating Middle Tennessee 89-45 on Friday. The Jayhawks opened with a 95-65 win over Fordham, so they’ve won their first two games by a combined 74 points. That’s a pretty good start. Of course, Kentucky is a major step up from those opponents. Bill Self knows that. The Jayhawks aren’t going to get the same uncontested looks they’ve been enjoying.
Kansas is averaging 92 points a game and allowing just 55. The defense has been excellent, although the competition matters when looking at those numbers. The Jayhawks have been forcing difficult shots and making opponents work to get into their offense. They also have plenty of size. Kentucky will need to do a much better job protecting the basketball than it did during stretches of its first two games.
Tre White has been averaging 15.5 points, while Keanu Dawes has been grabbing 8.5 rebounds a night. Melvin Council Jr. is handing out five assists per game. Kansas has been getting contributions from several spots, and that’s what makes the Jayhawks difficult to defend. They don’t need one player to score 30. But I’d like to see how they respond when Kentucky makes a run and the game gets tight. They haven’t had to deal with that yet.
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Kentucky Has Already Had One Close Call
Kentucky is 2-0 after beating James Madison 89-80 on Friday. The Wildcats opened with an 85-57 victory over Manhattan, and that game went about as expected. James Madison was a different story. Kentucky won, but the Dukes made the Wildcats work for it. That’s probably not the worst thing this early in the season. At least Kentucky has already experienced a game where it couldn’t just coast through the second half.
The Wildcats are averaging 87 points per game and allowing 68.5. They’ve shown they can score, but their defense wasn’t particularly convincing against James Madison. Kansas has been much better defensively through two games, and Kentucky can’t afford to waste possessions. The Wildcats also need to hold their own on the glass. Give Kansas a bunch of second chances, and the Jayhawks could turn a close game into a comfortable win.
Kentucky has enough talent to make this interesting. Malachi Moreno gives the Wildcats a presence inside, and the backcourt has to make smart decisions against Kansas’ pressure. The Wildcats don’t need to win the rebounding battle by ten or shoot 50% from three. They just need to avoid those stretches where the offense gets sloppy and the other team scores eight straight points. Against Kansas, that’s how you get buried.
Kansas vs Kentucky Picks and Prediction
Spread Pick: Kentucky +5.5
I’ll take Kentucky and the 5.5 points. Kansas has been terrific, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jayhawks win. But they’ve played Fordham and Middle Tennessee. Kentucky is a completely different kind of opponent. The Wildcats already had to deal with a competitive game against James Madison, and I think that experience helps a little. Kansas has the better early defensive numbers, but Kentucky has enough offense to stay within a couple of possessions. I’ll take the points in Chicago.
Total Pick: Under 155.5
I’m going under 155.5. Kansas has been scoring 92 a game, and Kentucky has been putting up 87. I get why the total is high. But those numbers came against opponents that aren’t nearly as talented defensively as the teams they’ll face Tuesday. Kansas has been allowing just 55 points per game, and I expect the Jayhawks to make Kentucky work for everything. Kentucky should make Kansas work, too. A game somewhere around 77-73 wouldn’t surprise me. That’s still plenty of scoring, but it stays below the number.
Final Picks: Kentucky +5.5 | Under 155.5
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