Kansas Opens as Major Chalk vs Oregon for Elite Eight Matchup

Bill Self has once again coached Kansas into the Elite Eight after Purdue no-showed in the second half of the Jayhawks’ Sweet 16 matchup, making it his sixth appearance in the NCAA tournament regional semifinals. Oregon, the Jayhawks’ opponent Saturday, will be playing in the Round of 8 for the second year in a row but the Ducks will be looking to make the Final Four for the first time since they won the whole thing way back in 1939.

SHARK BITES
  • Kansas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games against teams with winning records.
  • The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oregon's last 10 games.
  • The total has gone OVER in Kansas's last 5 games.

Bookmakers opened the No. 1-seeded Jayhawks as the 5-point chalk but as of Friday afternoon that number had been bet to 6.5 in favor of Kansas and most of the public money was coming in on the OVER 157. If you look purely at the numbers, that makes sense. Kansas took its first three games in the tournament by an average of 30 points and Oregon barely squeaked by Michigan in the Sweet 16.

The good news for Ducks backers is that the success they had defending an excellent offensive Wolverines squad should translate to their matchup with Kansas. Oregon plays good defense across the board but the boys from Eugene are especially good at defending the trey. The Jayhawks are the third-best 3-point shooting team in the nation (in terms of percentage) so this one could really be determined by how well Kansas shoots from beyond the arc.

The Kansas defense, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired and could be exposed by a Ducks team that has as many weapons as the Jayhawks do – if not more. I like the Ducks with the points here as I see this game finishing with a spread of 3 or less.

A major advantage for the Jayhawks in this one, however, is that they'll be playing just over three hours away from home at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. 

Oregon Ducks vs Kansas Jayhawks Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Kansas Jayhawks bring a 31-4 record (14-18-1 ATS) to this tilt against the 32-5 Ducks, who are 21-14-1 ATS. Those OVER/UNDER betting have witnessed Kansas go 17-16 so far and the Oregon Ducks go 18-18.

The Jayhawks - Ducks odds would favor the Ducks if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Kansas is rated No. 117 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Oregon is at No. 9.

Statistical Matchup

Rebounding is always a key handicapping betting consideration and Oregon is ranked No. 105 in NCAA basketball at 36.46 per game. Contrast that with Kansas's No. 29 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Kansas is the No. 42-ranked team in the country at 8.94 per game, while Oregon rates No. 65 at 8.54 per game.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

Oregon earned a 69-68 victory over Michigan on Thursday, getting 20 points from Tyler Dorsey at Sprint Center.

The battle between the Jayhawks and Boilermakers didn’t turn out to be much of a battle at all as Purdue was handed a 98-66 defeat on Thursday at Sprint Center.

Kansas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games against teams with winning records.home The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oregon's last 10 games.away The total has gone OVER in Kansas's last 5 games.home
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