Both the Kentucky Wildcats and the Kansas State Wildcats expected big things from their March Madness seedings, only to find themselves in one of the toughest possible spots in the March Madness bracket this season: the 8 vs. 9 game. As two teams that play in elite conferences and have won big games throughout the season, this will be one of the toughest games to fill out for March Madness poolies.
Read on for everything you need to know to bet on this game in the Midwest region of the NCAA college basketball tournament.
[sc:MarchMadness ]No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats Betting Preview
When: Friday, March 21, 9:40PM EST
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis
Line: No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats (+5) at No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (-5); total 132.5
Betting on No. 8 Kentucky
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Kentucky could have helped itself immensely if had eked out two more points for the upset of the national No. 1 Florida Gators in the SEC championship game on Sunday, but instead James Young tripped on the way to the basket and the rest was history: 61-60 Florida.
Kentucky was down 16-points in the second half of their SEC final, and showed the resilience that can be so valuable in the NCAA tournament: they came from behind, hustled, and nearly upset a top-seeded team. With a possible showdown looming with the undefeated Wichita State Shockers in the second round (should they survive Kansas State), that David-and-Goliath belief in themselves will be invaluable for Kentucky.
To get by Kansas State, Kentucky will need its best players to step up. Legendary coach John Calipari has taken many a team deep in the tournament, but this team–who were the top-ranked team in the country coming into the season–did not perform to their potential as a team. Julius Randle (15.4 PPG) and James Young (14.6) are both expected to go in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft, but have not shown that team chemistry that can be essential in college basketball.
That said, Kentucky matches up well against their fellow Wildcats. Kansas State is a poor rebounding team, while Kentucky had the most offensive and defensive rebounding in the SEC this season, and fifth most in the nation. If Kentucky can control the glass the way they should, Kansas State will be in tough.
Betting on No. 9 Kansas State
The Kansas State Wildcats also had a chance to improve their standing in the March Madness bracket but couldn’t capitalize on a close finish against Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. Kansas State, like Kentucky, missed a last-minute opportunity, as Shane Southwell lost control of the ball on what could have been the game-tying possession.
Kansas State is one of the teams we picked as a possible sleeper in the Madness, but their road is undeniably difficult. They will need to continue to cash in on their excellent team passing. Kansas State ranked 27th in the nation in assists in the 2013-2014 regular season, and moving the ball around until they get a quality look will be critical if they hope to beat Calipari and Co.
K State will also need to be efficient shooting the ball. Kentucky can only beat them to so many rebounds if they simply knock down shots, and that begins with team scoring leader Marcus Foster, who averages 15.4 points a game. Foster dropped 21 on the Cyclones, and the team shot 54% from the floor on the way to 85 points in the loss. If they can shoot that well against Kentucky, this game will come right down to the wire.
Prediction
Even if we had them slated as a sleeper, this is a very unfortunate draw for the Kansas State Wildcats. The combination of Kentucky’s dominant rebounding and Calipari’s legendary motivational skills will give them the edge in what should be a wild game, pun intended. Take Kentucky on the spread and the game on the over.
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