Kansas vs. Howard: 2023 NCAA Tournament Best Bets & Picks
March Madness is officially here! The 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Letâs take a look at the early odds, previews, and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round 1 game: Kansas vs. Howard.
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2023 March Madness Odds, Preview & Predictions: Kansas vs. Howard
Kansas vs. Howard Odds, Spread & Match Up Overview
- Kansas Spread: -22.5
- Howard Spread: +22.5
- Kansas Moneyline: -14925
- Howard Moneyline: +3000
- Game Over/Under: 146.5
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Kansas 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
Last yearâs champion looks to run it back, with Bill Self earning yet another 1-seed this tournament. Kansas enter with a league-leading 327 Quad 1 wins. OK, it isnât that many, but itâs a lot. The Jayhawks had the toughest strength of schedule this season, per KenPom, and they continued to earn win after win as they went along, mowing down opponents. Jalen Wilson has taken a massive step in leading this team, with role players in Gradey Dick and Dajuan Harris highlighting this championship-caliber squad.
Offensively, Kansas really isnât too spectacular, but the Jayhawks still rank in the top 25 in offensive efficiency. They have a preference for scoring inside, with nearly 55 percent of their points coming from inside the arc, ranking in the top 75 in that category. Kansas is incredibly consistent and has shown without a doubt that it can play in big neutral-court games. Self is one of the best second-half adjustments and late-game coaches in the history of collegiate hoops, and itâs shown. Kansas went 9-1 this season in games decided by five or fewer points, with the one loss coming in overtime. While you can chalk a little bit of that up to luck, itâs invaluable to have that much late-game experience for these young players come March.
Defensively, Kansas is awesome anywhere on the court, ranking in the top 30 in defensive 3pt%, MR%, and NP% shooting. No matter what their opponent brings, Kansas will be ready for it. The Jayhawks have essentially had everything thrown their way this season, so I canât think of a team more prepared for this tournament. The Jayhawks play at a fast pace and allow very few transition/breakaway points off of steals. Against teams that shoot well from the perimeter, Kansas actually performs better than average, too, per Haslametrics.
Kansasâ glaring weakness is its depth. The Jayhawks rank near last in the Big 12 in bench minutes. Against teams that draw fouls at a high clip such as Kansas State, Baylor, and TCU, we have seen Kansas struggle. Combine that with an opponent that has a fast pace of play, and fatigue can set in for Kansas starters late in games â especially in a quick-turnaround situation like a second-round game. Kansas didnât fall to a sub-25 KenPom team all season, so honestly, Iâm going out of my way to find a weakness here. The Jayhawks have the potential to win it all again, but luck has been on their side all season. It will be interesting to see if the ball continues bouncing their way in the tournament.
Howard 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
The MEAC representative has a solid all-around game with the ability to get hot from deep, but without being overly reliant on the long ball. Elijah Hawkins is an elite facilitating guard with one of the highest assist rates in the nation to go along with his 45 percent perimeter shooting.
Howard forces turnovers at a high clip but does not rebound well on the defensive end, allowing opponents to get second-chance points. Howardâs 356th-ranked turnover rate makes me concerned about its ability to get open looks in tournament games, and its sub-300th-ranked strength of schedule makes me feel like the Bison wonât put up much of a fight in the tournament.
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Howard Bison 2023 NCAA Tournament Predictions
Kansas proved to be one of the more consistently dominant teams in a wild year of college basketball, outpacing the rest of an extremely tough Big 12 to claim yet another regular season title. The defending national champions are a veteran squad led by a presumptive All-American in Jalen Wilson and one of the best coaches in the history of college basketball in Bill Self. The Howard Bison had a great season of their own, winning the MEAC regular season title with an 11-3 record and using some late-game heroics to come back and defeat Norfolk State in their championship game. The Bison are a relatively balanced team, relying on contributions from everyone on their roster (7 players averaging between 7-13 PPG). One big bright spot for Howard is that they turn the ball over at the 3rd-lowest rate in the country, which is paramount against a Jayhawks team that ranks 11th in the nation in steals. That being said, Kansas should be able to get whatever they want, whenever they want, on the offensive end during this matchup. Rather than lay the 20+ point full game spread, I would look for the Jayhawks to get out to an early lead and cover the first half spread.
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Howard Bison 2023 NCAA Tournament Picks
Kansas 1H
More Round 1 & First Four Betting Picks & Predictions
South
- #16 Texas A&M-CC vs. #16 Southeast Missouri St. (First Four)
- #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
- #5 San Diego St. vs. #12 Charleston
- #4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
- #6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State
- #3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara
- #7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
- #2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
East
- #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
- #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
- #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana
- #6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
- #3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
- #7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC
- #2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
West
- #1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
- #8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
- #5 Saint Maryâs vs. #12 VCU
- #4 UConn vs. #13 Iona
- #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Nevada (First Four)
- #3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
- #7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
- #2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville
Midwest
- #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
- #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
- #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake
- #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
- #11 Mississippi State vs. #11 Pitt (First Four)
- #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
- #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
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