#10 Arkansas vs #7 Kansas Odds, Props & Picks for March 20

• The #10 Arkansas Razorbacks tackle the #7 Kansas Jayhawks within the First Spherical of March Insanity
• The Below is a mixed 39-27 in video games involving the Razorbacks & Jayhawks this season
• Beneath, see the Arkansas vs Kansas odds, participant props & picks for Thursday night time’s matchup

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It’s just a little surprising to see it occur so early within the match, however two school basketball teaching legends will go head-to-head within the first spherical of this yr’s NCAA Males’s Basketball Match. A start within the second spherical is at stake when John Calipari’s #10 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-13, 14-18-1 ATS) tackle Invoice Self’s #7 Kansas Jayhawks (21-12, 15-18-0 ATS).

After opening the season ranked #1 within the nation, a seven-seed can’t be what the Jayhawks had been anticipating to see on Choice Sunday, however they nonetheless go into Thursday as five-point favorites towards the Razorbacks. Tip-off is about for 7:10 pm ET on the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Windfall, RI.

Arkansas vs Kansas Odds

With moneyline odds at -220, the Jayhawks are favorites to advance previous Arkansas. The winner of this First Spherical matchup within the West Area will face the winner of #2 St. John’s Crimson Storm and #15 Omaha Mavericks.

The purpose whole for Razorbacks/Jayhawks tonight is 145.5. Arkansas hit 146 factors or extra in 17 of 33 video games this season, whereas Kansas was in a position to take action in 16 of 33 video games.

Odds as of March 20 at bet365. Declare the bet365 bonus code for March Insanity.

Arkansas vs Kansas Workforce Stats

Can the Razorbacks Cope With All of the Accidents?

Issues haven’t come simple this season for the Arkansas Razorbacks. After placing up a 11-2 non-conference report to start out the season, the Hogs opened up SEC play by going 0-5. And that’s when issues supposedly obtained worse.

Their main scorer? He’s out. Their second-leading scorer? Yeah, he’s out, too. That’s proper, practically 31 PPG got here off the board following accidents to level guard Boogie Fland (15.1 PPG, 5.7 APG) on January 18th, then ahead Adou Thiero (15.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG) on February twenty second.

And but, the Razorbacks persevered. They’ve gone 4-2 since Thiero went down and 9-6 since Fland’s damage, which all got here on the heels of that five-game skid. Arkansas is resilient, if something

So what are the Arkansas Razorbacks to do? Hold enjoying protection!

Per KenPom, the Razorbacks are 18th within the nation in defensive effectivity, seventh in blocks, and are simply exterior the Prime 80 in steals. All very optimistic metrics, when you think about that they did this within the hardest convention within the nation, and with out their prime two gamers.

That stated, Fland is outwardly able to return for the match, although coach John Calipari says if something he’ll be coming off the bench. However with the Razorbacks rolling till this level, it stays to be seen whether or not his return might be a blessing or a disruption.

Can the Preseason No. 1 Jayhawks Escape the First Spherical?

The beginning of the faculty basketball season seems like 1,000,000 years in the past. Bear in mind when the Kansas Jayhawks had been the top-ranked group within the nation and had been beating the likes of UNC, Duke, and Michigan State? In case you can’t I don’t blame you. Pepperidge Farms doesn’t even keep in mind.

It’s no small feat to go from Preseason No. 1 to utterly out of the Prime 25 rankings, or to turn out to be the primary Invoice Self-coached Kansas group to not be seeded fourth or increased within the match. It’s an understatement to say expectations weren’t met in Allen Fieldhouse this season.

So what’s the excellent news? First off, they’re no 2022-23 Tar Heels; they might have fallen from #1 to out of the rankings, however they nonetheless made the match! And there’s an enormous motive for it.

The Jayhawks nonetheless put up twenty wins this season, which isn’t any small feat after they’ve performed by means of the twelfth most troublesome schedule. The explanation behind all of it? For nearly as good as Arkansas is defensively, the Jayhawks are higher. Actually, they’re probably the most defensively environment friendly groups within the nation this season.

Kansas is robust on the boards, power an inexpensive quantity of turnovers, and don’t foul loads. Win or lose, that ought to show to be significantly irritating for any opponent they face.

Arkansas vs Kansas Participant Props

In search of worth, my eyes instantly went to the -120 that Jayhawks star heart Hunter Dickinson was getting to place 20+ factors on the board. Nonetheless, towards different high-efficiency defenses this season, Dickinson didn’t truthful as properly. He put up 17 twice towards Houston, 14 and 6 towards Iowa State, 10 towards West Virginia, and 14 towards Cincinnati. He’ll get his buckets; simply perhaps not twenty of them.

As an alternative, I’m trying throughout the courtroom at Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile. Although he shot 41.2% from past the arc this season, Brazile has gone 11 for 20 (55%) in his final 4 video games and 13 for 26 (50%) in his final six. He’s getting extra seems to be ever since Adou Thiero was injured in February and I don’t see Coach Cal telling Brazile to cease taking pictures on Thursday.

Arkansas vs Kansas Prediction

So do you need to again the twelfth-best group within the #1 convention or the sixth-best group within the #3 convention? That is perhaps the play right here in figuring out a winner, provided that each squads are defensive heavies with common shooters.

Each groups had middling Quad 1 information, so look to the Quad 2 video games: Kansas went 7-1, dropping solely to the should-be-in-the-tourney West Virginia Mountaineers, whereas Arkansas went 4-3, with losses @ LSU (NET Rank: 89), @ South Carolina (87), and vs Oklahoma (43).

As entertaining as a possible Calipari vs Rick Pitino Second Spherical showdown could be, I don’t see it taking place. I’m taking the Jayhawks at -220 to win outright.

I’m additionally taking the Below on this one. Sure, each Arkansas and Kansas common round 76 PPG, however their defenses are way more environment friendly (18th and eleventh at KenPom) than their respective offenses (73rd and forty eighth). To be trustworthy, I’d be just a little shocked if each groups lets one another break seventy factors

Arkansas vs Kansas Picks:

• Kansas ML (-220)
• Below 145.5 (-110)
• Trevon Brazile Over 1.5 Three-Pointers (+120)