Kansas Opens As Big Underdog In Rematch Against Arizona

Kansas defeated Arizona 82-78 in the first matchup on Feb. 9 at Allen Fieldhouse, but oddsmakers favor the Wildcats in Saturday's rematch.

Arizona is favored by 8.5 points, and the over/under is 146.5, according to the DraftKings Sportsbook on Friday afternoon. Moneyline odds were not offered at the time of publication.

Kansas' win over Arizona a few weeks ago could provide the Jayhawks with some confidence going into this matchup, knowing they're capable of winning. At the same time, coach Bill Self won't let his team get too comfortable, as he knows they're in for a major challenge with home-court advantage flipping to the Wildcats.

"I think a lot of times if you're favored and you win at home the first game, sometimes that can create a false sense of security going back on the road to try to win the second game," Self said. "I also think that in a situation like Arizona, I don't think it matters first or second. I think the psyche and mental approach would be the same and the same type of excitement regardless of the outcome of the first game. So I don't see that being a factor in this particular situation."

Melvin Council Kansas Basketball — Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) drives to the basket against Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) at Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 9, 2026. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Since the first matchup between these teams, Kansas has lost at No. 5 Iowa State and at home against Cincinnati, while also picking up wins over Oklahoma State and No. 5 Houston. Kansas was ranked No. 9 when it defeated Arizona, but the Jayhawks have since dropped to No. 14 in the most recent AP Top 25 poll.

Arizona was the last undefeated Power Four team in America before losing to Kansas, which was followed by a home loss to No. 16 Texas Tech in overtime. The Wildcats have bounced back recently, though, defeating No. 23 BYU, No. 2 Houston and Baylor in their last three games.

Arizona fell to No. 4 and moved back up to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll after being ranked No. 1 for nine straight weeks. Michigan took their spot atop the rankings initially, only to lose to Duke, which is now the nation's No. 1 team.

The Wildcats are in the driver's seat for a Big 12 title, holding a two-game lead on Iowa State, Houston, Texas Tech and Kansas with three games to play. But things could get interesting with a Kansas win on Saturday, as Arizona has a quick turnaround before facing No. 4 Iowa State on Monday.

Saturday's 2 p.m. MST tipoff at the McKale Memorial Center in Tucscon, Ariz. also has major NCAA Tournament seeding implications. Arizona should be able to hang onto a No. 1 seed, but a few losses down the stretch would make the conversation more interesting. Kansas is currently projected as a No. 3 seed, but jumping to the No. 2 line could be possible with a win over Arizona.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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