No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 3 Oregon Ducks Preview
Where: Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
When: Saturday, March 25, 8:49 PM ET
Line: Kansas Jayhawks vs. Oregon Ducks – view all NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: TBS
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Betting on the Kansas Jayhawks (31-4)
It’s hard to stop Kansas when all its guns are clicking. No. 1 seed Kansas is headed to Elite Eight round after a merciless demolition of Purdue Thursday, 99-66.
Kansas’ offense, which was 11th in the nation in scoring prior to the tournament, hasn’t changed a bit in the national tourney. The Jayhawks are scoring at will in the tournament, averaging 96 points in three games so far. Oregon presents a tougher defense but the Jayhawks do have enough talent to break down any type of tricks the Ducks will throw at them. Against the Boilermakers, five of the eight players Bill Self sent to the floor scored in double figures, including Devonte Graham and Frank Mason III, who each exploded for 26 points against Purdue.
Kansas has three players who could erupt offensively at any game: Graham, Mason, and freshman guard Josh Jackson. The amount of firepower on Kansas’ roster is going to be a problem for Oregon, who will have to plot a way to put shackles on those three aforementioned players. That’s not an easy thing to do based on how the trio have performed in the tournament.
Oregon could expect the Jayhawks to chuck a lot of threes. The Jayhawks have shot at least 40% from long range in the tournament, even shooting 53.6% from the three-point region on 15-for-28 shooting against Purdue.
Kansas is 3-0 ATS in its last three games.
Betting on the Oregon Ducks (32-5)
Oregon didn’t allow the Wolverines to depart for the Elite Eight round. After sending John Beilein’s boys back to Ann Arbor with a close 69-68 win on Thursday, the Ducks are set to take the high-scoring Jayhawks this Saturday.
The absence of big man Chris Boucher for the Ducks in the tournament has paved the way for elevated performances from the others on the team, particularly Tyler Dorsey. Dorsey, averaged 14.0 points in the regular season, but has now scored at least 20 points in each of his past six games. He shot 7-for-15 from the field with five threes against Michigan. Dorsey’s impressive showing in the tournament takes some load off Dillon Brooks, who scored just 12 points but had five assists and four rebounds in the Michigan contest.
Oregon has been shooting well from deep in the tourney, knocking down 49% of its three-point attempts. It’s a weapon the Ducks have been utilizing thus far, especially with them missing Boucher’s presence down low.
Jordan Bell is another Duck performing well. He’s now the top rim protector for the Ducks, who were second nationally in the regular season in blocks with 6.6 swats per outing. Bell is averaging 13 points and 12.3 rebound with four blocks across three games of the national tournament.
Writer’s Prediction
Kansas wins, 81-71.
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