Kansas vs Kentucky: Champions Classic 2020 Odds and Live-Stream Schedule

The Kansas Jayhawks and Kentucky Wildcats come into Tuesday's Champions Classic matchup with losses already on their respective resumes. 

Kansas opened its season with a loss to the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, while Kentucky fell at home to the Richmond Spiders, who are expected to be one of the top mid-major programs in the country. 

One of the two programs will be handed its second loss in Indianapolis on Tuesday, but that will not be a massive issue in the long run.

Even though Kentucky carries a wealth of young talent on its roster, Kansas is favored to win the contest through its experienced stars. 

A second loss this early in the season may seem brutal to either program, but both are more than capable of recovering from it. 

Kansas vs. Kentucky Information

Date: Tuesday, December 1

Start Time: 9:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: Watch ESPN or ESPN app

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): Kansas (-0.5; -109); Kentucky (-112)

Preview

The Kansas-Kentucky game is the only Champions Classic contest to be held at a neutral site in 2020.

Since the Duke Blue Devils are hosting the Michigan State Spartans, there will not be a 30-minute delay in between games, like there typically is with both showdowns at a neutral site. 

Kentucky won the first two Champions Classic meetings with Kansas, while the Jayhawks won the last clash in the event by four points in 2017. 

Both teams are following strategies used in the past to reload their rosters. Kansas is asking experienced players to slide into larger roles, while Kentucky is running out a highly touted freshman class. 

Kansas tried to hang with the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday, but it did not have enough offense to slow down Mark Few's team.

The Jayhawks rebounded the next day with a victory over the St. Joseph's Hawks, in which Christian Braun produced 30 points.

The offense led by Braun, Ochai Agbaji and Marcus Garrett has proved that it could score at a high clip in both games. Kansas reached the 90-point mark against Gonzaga and St. Joe's. 

On the other hand, Kentucky produced 81 points in its season-opening win over the Morehead State Eagles, but it was then held to 64 by Richmond on Sunday. 

If Garrett, who is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, locks in BJ Boston or Terrence Clarke, Kentucky's offense could be neutralized for the second straight game. 

Boston leads the Wildcats with 17.5 points per game, and he is expected to be the star of the team. He could have a breakout performance at the Champions Classic similar to Tyrese Maxey, who put up 26 points in last year's win over Michigan State. 

If Kentucky's guards struggle, Wake Forest transfer Olivier Sarr could be the difference-maker down low on Tuesday night. He is coming off 17-point, 11-rebound double-double. 

If Sarr outplays David McCormack and Mitch Lightfoot in the paint, Kentucky does not need Boston or Clarke to go off for 20 or 30 points. 

However, if Kansas is able to contain more than one of Kentucky's top players, it could come away with its first win over a ranked side.

If the recent matchups between the perennial powers provide any indicator of what we will see Tuesday, the winner will not post a massive scoring total.

Kansas won in 2017 by scoring 65 points, and only Kentucky in 2011 hit the 75-point mark in this matchup.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com

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