Kansas vs. Miami Odds, Spread, Pick and Predictions for 2022 NCAA Tournament

by Mike Spector |
Mar 26, 2022

Check out all of our 2022 March Madness Coverage >>

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Miami Hurricanes Game Info

Kansas Jayhawks (31-6, 14-4 Big 12) vs. Miami Hurricanes (26-10, 14-6 ACC)

Date: Sunday, Mar. 27, 2022
Start Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
Location: United Center - Chicago, IL
Coverage: CBS
Last Meeting: January 16, 1991 - Kansas defeated Miami 73-60 in Lawrence.

Kansas vs. Miami Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM

Moneyline: KAN: (-294) | MIA: (+230)
Point Spread: KAN: -6.5 (-110) | MIA: +6.5 (-110)
Total: 147.5 - Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Betting Trends

Kansas 2021-22 Betting Trends: 18-19 ATS; 19-16-2 to the Over
Miami 2021-22 Betting Trends: 21-15 ATS; 20-16 to the Over
Kansas is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games following a straight up win
Kansas is 1-5 ATS in its last six NCAA Tournament games
Miami is 7-1 ATS in its last eight neutral site games as underdogs
Miami is 15-5-1 ATS in its last 21 games overall
The over is 7-3-1 in Kansasâ€™ last 11 NCAA Tournament games
The under is 4-0 in Miamiâ€™s last four NCAA Tournament games

Overview

This Elite Eight matchup has a David vs. Goliath feel to it, despite both schools hailing from Power Five conferences. Kansasâ€™ Sweet 16 victory over Providence was its 2,354th win in school history, breaking a tie with Kentucky for the most wins in Division I history. Conversely, Miami appears in its first-ever Elite Eight, though head coach Jim Larranaga has a Final Four appearance on his resume from 2006 with George Mason.

Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self makes his 11th Elite Eight appearance (ninth with Kansas) and first since 2017. Entering the Elite Eight, the Jayhawks are now the favorites to cut down the nets as the only remaining No. 1 seed. The Jayhawks kept a streak alive of at least one No. 1 reaching the Elite Eight in every NCAA Tournament since seeding began in 1979. However, this is the first year with fewer than two No. 1 seeds in the Regional Finals since 2013.

Miami Hurricanes Betting Preview

While Kansas has been favored in 37 of 38 games this season, this marks the 14th time the Hurricanes have been underdogs. However, Miami revels in the underdog role, going 11-2 ATS in 13 games. Jim Larranaga already set the school record for most wins as head coach of Miami earlier this season, and now the Hurricanes are one win away from tying a school record with 27 wins (set in 2015-16).

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Miami Hurricanes Betting Pick and Prediction

Kansas backers that take a â€œglass half fullâ€ approach will argue that the Jayhawks showed signs of a national championship-caliber team since they overcame a season-low five points from Ochai Agbaji in their 66-61 win over Providence. However, pessimists will say that the 19 combined points from Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, David McCormack are a more significant concern and will not be good enough to beat teams like the Hurricanes that are better offensively than the Friars.

Providence shot 20% from the field in the first half against Kansas, its worst shooting half of the season. In addition, their 17 points in the first half were tied for the fewest by any team in any half in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Was that a product of good Kansas defense, or did Providence miss good looks? Considering the Jayhawks allowed 44 points in the second half, Providence clearly identified some matchups they were comfortable attacking.

Miami is a much more complete offensive team than Providence, as Charlie Moore, Isaiah Wong, and Kameron McGusty are all trusted in one-on-one situations to create their own shots. However, Miamiâ€™s defense does not get enough credit on a nightly basis. The Hurricanes forced Iowa State into 18 turnovers and completed their tenth game with at least ten steals this season. Miami entered the tournament with a +4 turnover differential, the 11th-best in the country. Thus, the Hurricanes also do a tremendous job taking care of the basketball, as their 13.8% turnover rate is the sixth-best in the country.

Now that Remy Martin has come to life, Kansas is looking more like a complete team. Martin has averaged 16 ppg over the last five games, and his previous two games of 20 and 23 points are his two highest-scoring totals of the season. However, Martinâ€™s heroic performance should not mask how poorly the rest of the Jayhawks starters played on Friday. An experienced and talented team like Miami will take advantage of that if it happens again.

Pick: Miami +6.5 (-115 at BetMGM)

Check out all of our 2022 March Madness Sportsbook Offers >>

Whether you're new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our 101 section - including How to Choose a Sportsbook - or head to more advanced strategy - like Which Sports Are Most Profitable to Bet? - to learn more.

Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.

Navigate