March Madness betting players have had their eye on Kansas all season, and the Jayhawks have rarely disappointed, ended the season as the No.1 team in the country. The Jayhawks could probably clinch the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big 12 tourney, which they had won four years in a row before Missouri took the crown in 2009. They should start a new streak this weekend.
Kansas is the favorite at -300, and they recovered from their lone Big 12 loss at Oklahoma State to stomp Kansas State and Missouri in the final week of the season, and you may not find a team that is more well-rounded and suited to the rigors of the postseason than the Jayhawks. They have leadership with Sherron Collins, and a dependable big man in Cole Aldrich, and these two were on the 2008 team that beat Memphis in overtime to win the NCAA Tournament. However, the x-factor is freshman Xavier Henry, who picked up his game in the last month of the season.
Their biggest threat is Kansas State at +350, and Frank Martin may win the Big 12 Coach of the Year award for the job he’s done. The Wildcats have wildly overachieved this year, but losses at Kansas State and at home to lowly Iowa State isn’t a good look heading into the playoffs. A better bet would be Baylor at +500, as the Bears won seven of their last eight. They have a free-scoring pair of guards in LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, and they have Ekpe Udoh in the middle. Udoh is fourth in the country in blocks, and he can score when he gets touches.
Stay away from Texas at +650 according to sportsbook odds, and the Longhorns were No.1 before a loss at Kansas State, and it was all downhill from there. The Longhorns have been bitten by inconsistent guard play, but they’re all freshmen. Avery Bradley, J’Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton have been all over the map over the second half of the season, which is a shame when Texas has Damion James, one of the premier post players in the country.
You’re looking for a matchup between Baylor and Kansas in the final, and the Jayhawks defeated the Bears 81-75 at home on January 20th. The Bears have the depth to rotate players on Dunn and Carter, while Udoh and Aldrich should battle to a stalemate in the post. However, the Bears don’t have an answer for Henry, who didn’t play well in the first meeting, and with his recent form he should be near the top of the list for the MVP award in this tournament. Take the Kansas Jayhawks’ odds on college basketball this weekend.
