Last week college basketball fans were reminded of the importance of a strong head coach. To show, Bill Self missed the Big 12 Tournament with an undisclosed illness. It is true that Kansas made the Big 12 championship game. But KU was routed by the Texas Longhorns. Of course, Self led KU to the Big 12 regular season championship. At the beginning of this week, it was announced that Self should be back for March Madness. But his health concerns add to the College Basketball odds obstacles facing the defending national champions.
Howard Bison vs. Kansas Jayhawks Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Thursday, March 16, 2023, 2 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA |
| TV Coverage: | TBS |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard | +20½ (-110) | 145½ (-110) | +1625 |  |
| Kansas | -20½ (-110) | 145½ (-110) | -3250 | |
| ||||
Howard vs. Kansas SBG Odds Overview
Of course, Kansas will be the overwhelming sportsbook favorite. Consider that KU is the defending national champion, top seed, and historic blue blood. The casual sector has no awareness of Howard, a mid-major program.
Howard Bison Team Overview
The Howard Bison are 19-12 straight up, 15-13 against the spread, and 15-13 over/under the total. Overall, Howard has national metrics of 99th for scoring offense, 92nd for field goal percentage, 19th for 3-point field goal percentage, 157th for free throw percentage, and 160th for offensive rebounding. While on defense, Howard is 277th for scoring defense, 282nd for field goal percentage permitted, 267th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 68th for defensive rebounding.
Howard has seen the payout window in its last four games. Also, the Bison have posted three consecutive unders. Howard won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings. Elijah Hawkins leads Howard with 13.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest.
Kansas Jayhawks Team Overview
Overall, the Kansas Jayhawks are 25-6 straight up, 14-17 against the spread, and 16-15 over/under the total. Kansas has national metrics of 91st for scoring offense, 73rd for field goal percentage, 157th for 3-point field goal percentage, 151st for free throw percentage, and 79th for offensive rebounding. While on defense, Kansas has national rankings of 128th for scoring defense, 50th for field goal percentage permitted, 58th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 247th for defensive rebounding.
Late on, Kansas failed to cover four of its final six games. The Jayhawks went under the total in seven consecutive outings. Jalen Wilson leads Kansas with 20.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Following a second place finish to Kansas in the regular season, the seventh-ranked Longhorns proved Saturday night they were champs in their own right, blowing out the third-ranked Jayhawks 76-56 in the Big 12 finals.
As mentioned earlier, the Jayhawks played again without Hall of Fame coach Bill Self. Self went to the emergency room on the eve of their quarterfinal for an undisclosed medical procedure. Self’s longtime assistant and acting coach, Norm Roberts, took over. Subsequently, Roberts said he hopes to have Self back when they begin defense of their NCAA title this week.
Jalen Wilson scored 24 points. And then Joseph Yesufu, pressed into the starting lineup due to injuries, finished with 11 for the Jayhawks. Kansas had won 13 of their previous 16 trips to the Big 12 finals.
Howard vs. Kansas SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Kansas is an NCAABB betting overlay. This year, Howard has been a good value and is getting more points than they should.
Howard vs. Kansas SBG Best Bet: Howard Bison.