Although they claimed the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, the Kansas Jayhawks have found themselves overlooked quite often this season. Kansas has closed as an underdog on five occasions this year, going 4-1 SU and ATS in those contests – including an overtime victory against Duke in the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks will be dogs once again when they take on the Villanova Wildcats – the NCAA Tournament favorites – in the Final Four on Saturday.
- Kansas is 6-1 SU and ATS in its last 7 games as underdog.
- Villanova is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games against Kansas.
- The total has gone OVER in 14 of Villanova’s last 19 games with an average combined score of 157.1 ppg.
Though we are used to seeing Kansas go deep into the tournament, this is not the same Bill Self team we are used to. Gone is the suffocating defense and juggernaut bigs down low – now the Jayhawks rely on a glut of shooters to space the floor and outscore opponents. Five different Kansas players are averaging at least 12 points per game this season while three of those players have taken at least 200 attempts from three-point range. The single biggest reason Kansas is winning during the tournament has been the play of oft-overlooked Malik Newman. The sophomore guard is averaging 25.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while hitting 48.1 percent of his threes since the second round.
What is there to be said about Villanova that has not already been said. The Wildcats are the most complete, well-rounded team in the country – something they have proven by posting an average scoring margin of +15.8 points per game during the NCAA Tournament while limiting opponents to 64 ppg and a 36.7 field-goal percentage. All six of Villanova’s players to average at least 20 minutes per game are shooting 44.5 percent or better on the season while three (Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Omari Spellman) are shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Villanova Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawks Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Kansas Jayhawks currently sport a 31-7 record overall in NCAA basketball action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 20-17 ATS. The Villanova Wildcats are 34-4 and 25-12-1 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Jayhawks produce a 18-17-2 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Wildcats have gone 25-13 against the totals betting line.
The Jayhawks sit at No. 155 in the current college hoops power poll here at OddsShark, while the Wildcats sit at No. 3 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
Scoring and defensive stats point to some betting edges in this matchup. The game features Kansas's No. 25-ranked scoring average of 81.45 PPG, against a Villanova defense rated No. 91 and allowing 70.16 PPG. The Jayhawks' FG% has averaged 49.35% to date this season, less than the Wildcats shooters have managed so far (49.91% per game).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Villanova earned a 71-59 victory over Texas Tech on Sunday, getting 15 points from Jalen Brunson at TD Garden.
Malik Newman poured in a team-high 32 points for Kansas on Sunday, as they defeated Duke 85-81 at CenturyLink Center.
