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Darryn Peterson is the best player on the court Friday night.
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Some of the most serious contenders in the nation are in the Big 12 semifinals on Friday night.
The Kansas Jayhawks, equipped with a projected top-three draft pick in Darryn Peterson, come in as 6.5-point underdogs for Friday night’s marquee matchup against the Houston Cougars.
These two teams played just once in the regular season, and No. 14 Kansas won outright 69-56 in a game they were 2.5-point underdogs at home.
Fast forward nearly three weeks, and Kansas is a big underdog for this matchup at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., which sets up as an expected neutral court.
The game will be played on a traditional hardwood floor, after injuries and instability marred the previous games, as they were previously playing on glass and LED mesh surfaces.
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson will have a tough time stopping Darryn Peterson. APHouston vs. Kansas prediction
Houston is largely considered one of the best teams in the nation, making it more than reasonable that they are 6.5-point favorites tonight.
What I get pause for them is that the matchup might be less than ideal for them.
The Jayhawks’ win over Houston is by far the biggest losing margin they’ve had this year and the largest since being defeated by 14 points in the 2023 Sweet 16 against the Miami Hurricanes.
Interestingly enough, Peterson didn’t even play that well in the game, notching 14 points and one assist on 5/14 shooting.
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Peterson is capable of far more than that, and while my model doesn’t see value in the Jayhawks with a projected score of 65.1 to 71.26.
I’ll still take a stab at Bill Self’s group to spring the upset, which is no surprise if you read my Big 12 Conference Tournament prediction. This conference has gone as predicted so far, and I’ll continue to ride the underdog Jayhawks.
PREDICTION: Kansas moneyline (+200, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
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