The second round of action in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship is fast approaching, as the Kansas State Wildcats (18-13) will battle with the Texas Longhorns (20-11) on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 PM ET at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Longhorns come in slightly favored with a point spread at -4.5 (-115).

The Wildcats went 8-10 in conference play and are coming off of a 65-58 win over the Iowa State Cyclones that ended their two-game win streak. They are 3-2 in their last five games and show some positive momentum at the right time.

Tylor Perry has his hands in their offensive production, leading them with 15.2 points and 4.5 assists each game. Arthur Kaluma (14.8 PPG, 7.1 REB) is another name to watch out for, as his presence on both ends of the floor will be crucial for their success.

The Wildcats’ offense produces 72.2 points per game and makes 43.5 percent of their shots. Their ball movement somewhat lacks in comparison to the Longhorns’ at 14.1 assists per matchup. Keeping up with the Longhorns on this end of the floor will help their chances at success.

However, they must land pivotal stops on the defensive end. They are allowing their opponents to put up 70.2 points each game and do not offer a lot of breathing space between their offense.

The Longhorns are also 3-2 in their last five games, but are coming off a 94-80 success over the Oklahoma Sooners. The last time they played the Wildcats was back in February, where the Longhorns won 62-56 and Dylan Disu led with 20 points.

Max Abmas is pivotal to their offense like Perry is to the Wildcats. Abmas is averaging 16.8 points and 4.3 assists each game and crossed the 3,000 point threshold for men’s Division I basketball when they played against the Wildcats last month.

Their offense is slightly more appealing than the Wildcats at 76.6 points per game and 47.6 percent shooting from the field. Their ball movement is also more appealing at 15.9 assists per matchup.

You cannot overlook their defense, as they are stopping teams from scoring and keeping them around 69.6 points per game. This ks a more appealing spread compared to their offense and what the Wildcats put up.

The odds from MyBookie show the Texas Longhorns as 4.5-point favorites to succeed. If you are considering market insights, the Longhorns have a 66.3 percent likelihood of obtaining the win. The Longhorns already have success over the Wildcats in their only meeting this year, which bodes well for their chances here.