Kansas to Play Kentucky in Chicago Without Guard Melvin Council Jr.

Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. will miss the team's game against Kentucky after breaking his right foot during a Monday practice session. The Jayhawks are scheduled to host the Wildcats at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday, Nov. 10, with tipoff at 9:30 p.m. ET. Both teams enter the contest with 2-0 records. Council is expected to have surgery to repair the injury, leaving Kansas without a key perimeter player for the matchup.

The two programs have won their first two games of the 2026-27 season. Kansas defeated Middle Tennessee 89-45 on Friday. Kentucky beat James Madison 89-80 the same evening. The meeting between the traditional powers marks the first high-profile test for each squad in the early part of the season.

Betting markets list Kansas as a 4.5-point favorite. The total points line is set at 155.5. SportsLine, a predictive model, simulated the game 10,000 times to analyze the matchup. The model has an 11-1 record on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to 2025. It is 28-22 on its top-rated side picks during the same period.

Based on the simulations, the model recommends betting on the Under 155.5. The projection is supported by the absence of Council from the Kansas lineup. Historical data shows the Under has hit in seven of the past 10 head-to-head meetings between these two teams. The Under has also hit in seven of Kansas's last 10 games and in two of Kentucky's last three matchups.

The model estimates the Under will hit in approximately 62% of simulated scenarios. It projects four Kansas players to score in double figures, with Trey Kaufman-Renn averaging more than 16 points. On the Kentucky side, four players are expected to score at least 11 points each, led by Alex Wilkins, who is projected to score more than 17 points.

The model indicates that one side of the spread hits in nearly 70% of its simulations. The consensus leans toward a controlled game where neither team is expected to blow the other out. The focus remains on how Kansas will adjust its offensive and defensive schemes without Council. The outcome of the game will provide an early indicator of where both programs stand in the upcoming college basketball season.