The Auburn Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks had contrasting experiences in the first round, but both got their tickets to the next round. The Tigers were heavily tested last Thursday, while Kansas had a cakewalk. It’s unlikely to be that easy for either team this coming Saturday, though. Read on for this marquee collision in the midwest region. See all future odds for remaining teams in the tournament here.
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Betting Preview for the Auburn Tigers vs. Kansas Jayhawks College Basketball Game on March 24, 2019
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
When: Saturday, March 24, 2019, 9:40 PM ET
Line: Auburn Tigers (-1) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (+1) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: truTV
Betting on the Auburn Tigers (27-9 Overall / 11-7 Conference)
It didn’t come easy and without head coach Bruce Pearl sweating like an orange juice, but Auburn pulled off a 78-77 win in the first round against the resilient New Mexico State Aggies, who came so close of scoring an upset. Pearl has his team’s excellent 3-point shooting to thank for why they have a scheduled game this Saturday. The Tigers went bonkers again from deep, sinking 14 of 21 3-point attempts. In the SEC tournament title game win over the Tennessee Volunteers, Auburn went 15-for-40 from deep. The Tigers are addicted to taking those long balls, and no one can blame them for such shot selection, as they have been consistently nailing them. Expect the same against the Jayhawks. The players to watch for Auburn are in the backcourt, with the tandem of Jared Harper and Bryce Brown, scoring 17 and 12 points against New Mexico State.
The Tigers are 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in their last seven games, and are 20-14-1 ATS overall on the season, covering 58.8% of the time.
Betting on the Kansas Jayhawks (29-6 Overall / 12-6 Conference)
The Jayhawks were not going to let themselves get ejected out of the national tournament in the first round, as they took the Northeastern Huskies to the woodshed in an 87-53 win. Dedric Lawson, as expected, had a field day punishing the Huskies’ slim defense. Lawson powered Kansas with his 28 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes of action. The Jayhawks were not threatened seriously at any point of the game, largely because they controlled the pace set by their dominant rebounding. Kansas recorded 45 rebounds, while the Huskies only got 27. Rebounding will be key for Kansas in keeping Auburn from getting its rhythm on offense. The Jayhawks finished the regular season 36th in the nation with 38.2 rebounds per game, while Auburn was only 256th with 33.5 per contest.
The Jayhawks are 3-1 ATS in their last four games, but are 16-18-1 ATS on the season, covering only 47.1% of the time.
Writer’s Prediction
Auburn wins, 77-75.
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