The second Elite Eight odds battle to feature the bracket's top two seeds goes in the Midwest Sunday when UNC battles Kansas.
The game at Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis will feel more like a Kansas home game, and North Carolina is a slight 2-point undersog at Sportsbook. (UNC bettors got a better line at Sportsbook at +2.5).
That may have more to do with the expected absence of Tar Heel point guard Kendall Marshall. UNC looked disjointed in their OT win over little Ohio on Friday and missing Marshall again could give the edge to the Jayhawks.
Of course, the game features UNC head coach Roy Williams returning to the team he coached for 15 years (and two national finals).
The total was sitting around 143, which could be high if North Carolina struggles to score.
The Tar Heels currently sports a 32-5 record overall in NCAAB action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 20-16 ATS. The Jayhawks are 30-6 and 17-17-1 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Tar Heels produce a 17-17-2 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Jayhawks have gone 13-21-1 against the number.
View Kansas vs North Carolina Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 5-rated Tar Heels and the No. 8-ranked Jayhawks, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark. Prediction formulas run on this game indicate a possible 86-84 result in favor of the Tar Heels.
How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Jayhawks rank No. 40 in NCAA Division 1 with 37.5 per game. That compares with North Carolina’s No. 1 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where North Carolina is college basketball's No. 269-ranked team at 5.2 per game, while the Jayhawks rate No. 202 with 5.8 per game.
Defensively, Kansas features the nation's No. 16-rated defense on the road, allowing 61 points per game. North Carolina, meanwhile, comes in at No. 5 nationally in scoring at home.
Kansas was a 60-57 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against North Carolina State. They failed to cover the 9-point spread as favorites. Kansas got 18 points from Thomas Robinson en route to a 60-57 victory over North Carolina State on Friday at Edward Jones Dome.
North Carolina won its last outing, a 73-65 result against Ohio on March 23. They failed to cover in that game as a 10.5-point favorite. North Carolina got 20 points and 22 rebounds from Tyler Zeller en route to a 73-65 victory over Ohio on Friday at Edward Jones Dome.
