A pair of No. 2 seeds clash Saturday on the Final Four odds menus as the Kansas Jayhawks try to take out the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday in New Orleans.
Ohio State opened as 2.5 point favorites, as they look to follow Jared Sullinger to the national title game Monday. The Buckeyes took out No. 1 Syracuse last week and look to dispatch the Jayhawks as well.
It's a rare situation for Kansas playing the role of underdog. They have only been underdogs nine times in the past four seasons combined and they are 2-7 SU in those games. [ Bet the Jayhawks as underdogs at Sportsbook ]
Kansas upended North Carolina in another battle of 1 vs 2. They were favored after Kendall Marshall was unable to play for the Tar Heels.
The Jayhawks sit at 31-6 (18-17-1 ATS) on the season. By comparison, the Buckeyes are currently 31-7 (20-14 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Kansas is 14-21-1 OU, and Ohio State is 21-12-1 OU.
View Ohio State vs Kansas Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had the Jayhawks set as 2.5-point underdogs on the Sportsbook line at Sportsbook. The total sat at 136.5 at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Jayhawks at No. 8 and the Buckeyes at No. 4 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 83-80 result in favor of the Buckeyes.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Kansas's No. 39 nationally ranked offense (74.2 points per game) against a Buckeyes defense that sits as the No. 18 at 59.7 PPG. The Jayhawks have been averaging 47.6% from the field, less than the Buckeyes have managed so far this season (48% on average).
Defensively, Ohio State features the nation's No. 53-rated defense on the road, allowing 64.4 points per game. Kansas, meanwhile, comes in at No. 49 nationally in scoring at home.
In their last action, Ohio State was a 77-70 Sportsbook on the road against Syracuse. They covered the 2.5-point spread as favorites. Jared Sullinger scored 19 points leading the Buckeyes to a 77-70 victory over Syracuse at TD Banknorth Garden on Saturday.
Last time out for Kansas, they were an 80-67 Sportsbook as they battled North Carolina on the road. They covered in the match as a 2-point favorite. The Jayhawks grabbed an 80-67 win over the Tar Heels on Sunday, behind a 22-point effort from Tyshawn Taylor at Edward Jones Dome.
Ohio State Buckeyes Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
After playing Syracuse are 0-2
After a win are 6-4
Kansas Jayhawks Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-1
After playing North Carolina are 1-1
After a win are 9-1
A few Buckeyes at Jayhawks trends to consider:
Kansas is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
