The Kansas Jayhawks fell out of the Top 10 in the rankings by virtue of three losses early in the season. However, the oddsmakers did not lose faith in the team as Kansas is still receiving the second-best title odds at Sportsbook.ag. The team trails only the Michigan State Spartans as the favorite to win next year’s National Championship and is ranked ahead of the preseason favorite Kentucky Wildcats and the defending champ Louisville Cardinals. The Jayhawks are still a very young team, so the oddsmakers must believe that they will only improve as the team wears on.

The Toledo Rockets are still undefeated through 12 games of the college basketball season, but they are nowhere near the Top 25 rankings. Toledo has faced an easy schedule that has not included any top-ranked teams in the nation. However, the Rockets may finally have a chance to jump into the Top 25 with over the No. 16 Jayhawks on Monday night. Let’s take a closer look at the matchup and figure out which side of the spread has the most value to bet on.

Toledo at Kansas Betting Story Lines

Kansas’ three early losses has pushed them back into the bottom-half of the Top 25 rankings, but the team is still one of the most talented squads in the nation. However, the Jayhawks have trouble playing their best basketball on a consistent basis and still struggle with defensive assignment and rotations during games. The team also performed poorly ATS-wise and currently has a below-.500 record with a 5-6 mark through 11 posted lines early in the year.

Kansas has won two games in a row and is coming off a dominant 22-point victory over the Georgetown Hoyas. Andrew Wiggins was not a huge factor in the game, but he did add a solid 12 points and four assists. The rest of the team, however, did step up and provide the offensive production that the Jayhawks needed to earn another blowout victory. Center, Joel Embiid added 17 points and eight rebounds while Tarik Black added 17 points and six rebounds off the bench.

The early portion of the basketball season has been smooth sailing for the Toledo Rockets. The team is undefeated with 12 straight victories and is coming off a dominant 19-point win over the Coppin State Eagles on Saturday. The Rockets were led by the 22 points, five rebounds and three assists of Rian Pearson. Junior guard Julius Brown also chipped in 18 points, seven assists and two rebounds for the team.

Toledo struggled from the free-throw line during the game in only making 61 percent of its attempts. The team also shot poorly from beyond the arc, making only 36 percent of its three-point shots. Overall, Toledo is the 10th-highest scoring team in the nation, averaging 86.3 points per game. Toledo also averages 16.4 assists per game, which is ranked 27th in the nation.

Toledo at Kansas NCCA Odds and Betting Trends

Kansas opened as a 14.5-point favorite over Toledo at BookMaker. The moneyline was set at -1600 for Kansas and +930 for Toledo. Kansas is 5-0 ATS over its last five games versus the Mid-American Conference and 4-1 ATS during its last five Monday games. The team is also 5-0 over its last five home games against teams with a winning road record. The Jayhawks are also 9-3 over their last 12 games following a SU win of 20 points or more.

Toledo is 5-1 ATS over its last six road games and 9-2 ATS over its last 11 nonconference games. The team has also covered seven of its last nine overall games and six of its last eight games following a SU win.

Free College Basketball Picks: Toledo at Kansas Predictions

Monday night’s matchup against Toledo will be a tough challenge for a Kansas squad that has struggled to cover spreads earlier in the basketball year. The Jayhawks have not played in nine days and could be out of rhythm early in the matchup. For Toledo, the matchup may be the biggest game of the year for the team, and it will come in intense and ready to play. This situation feels like the best play is to take the undefeated Rockets plus the points. Kansas is still very young and inconsistent, and those 14.5 points may be too much for the Jayhawks to overcome. Take Toledo plus the points.

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Read more articles by George Monroy