March Madness Round 64 Lines: Arkansas vs. Kansas Betting Preview

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On Saturday, the Arkansas Razorbacks and Kansas Jayhawks will square off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the West Region. The top-seeded Jayhawks come into this matchup as a 3.5-point favorite, signifying that they may not have as smooth a path to the Sweet Sixteen as other one-seeds. With the health status of their head coach up in the air going into this game, it will take a spirited effort from the Jayhawks to survive and advance here.

We will now preview the game plus our betting prediction for this Round of 64 contest. Keep reading for college basketball betting lines, analysis, and a free pick for Arkansas vs Kansas.

2023 March Madness Round of 64 Game
No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks vs. No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview

Arkansas of SEC meets Kansas of Big 12 in NCAA Tourney Second Round
ATS Odds: Kansas -4
Moneyline Odds: Arkansas +142 / Kansas -175
Over/Under Odds: 144 -110
When: Saturday, March 18 at 5:15 pm ET
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA
TV / Streaming: CBS

Why Bet on No. 8 Arkansas versus No. 1 Kansas?

The Arkansas Razorbacks go into the second round of the NCAA Tournament playing at a high level, having beaten the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first round. In that 10-point win over Illinois, the Razorbacks did not shoot the ball particularly well, shooting just 38.1% from the field and 27.3% from three-point range. But they took good care of the basketball, something they will need to do if they want to upset the top seed in their region here.

On Thursday night, the Razorbacks limited themselves to just 11 turnovers against the Fighting Illini, compared to 17 turnovers from Illinois. They also won the battle on the glass, grabbing 43 rebounds compared to Illinois’ 34 boards. Valuing the basketball will be essential from the opening tip to the final buzzer if the Razorbacks want a chance to win this game and send the West Region bracket into chaos.

Arkansas Razorbacks Offensive Averages

Points/G: 74.7
FG %: 52.7
3PT%: 22.3
FT %: 72.2
Rebounds/G: 38.9

Arkansas Razorbacks Defensive Averages

Points/G: 56.4
FG %: 42.1
3PT%: 22.8
FT %: 69.3
Rebounds/G: 31.5

Why Bet on No. 1 Kansas versus No. 8 Arkansas?

The Kansas Jayhawks got off to a slow start in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against the 16-seed Howard Bison. But they got things rolling just before halftime, and never looked back, as they beat Howard by 28 points to get to the second round. They did so despite Kansas head coach Bill Self not being present at that game due to his ongoing medical situation, as Kansas could be without him for this game as well.

No matter who is coaching for Kansas in this game, continued efficiency from the field will be their ticket to the Sweet 16. The Jayhawks shot 52.1% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range against Howard. While Kansas is not likely to have quite so easy a time shooting the basketball against Arkansas, they could easily advance if they can get somewhere close to those numbers.

Kansas Jayhawks Offensive Averages

Points/G: 75.5
FG %: 52.6
3PT%: 34.6
FT %: 72.0
Rebounds/G: 36.1

Kansas Jayhawks Defensive Averages

Points/G: 67.9
FG %: 47.1
3PT%: 31.2
FT %: 72.1
Rebounds/G: 34.9

Arkansas vs. Kansas Betting Trends

In the last 3 of 4 Away games, the Kansas Jayhawks have hit the Point Spread bet (ROI: 44.3%)
The Kansas Jayhawks have not covered the Point Spread in 3 of their last 4 Home games (ROI: -51.4%)
In the last 4 of 8 games, the Kansas Jayhawks have not hit the Point Spread bet (ROI: -3.6%)
In the last 3 of 4 Away games, the Arkansas Razorbacks have not covered the Point Spread bet (ROI: -52.3%)
In the last 3 of 5 Home games, the Arkansas Razorbacks have not covered the Point Spread bet (ROI: -23.8%)
The Arkansas Razorbacks have not hit the Point Spread in 6 of their last 9 games (ROI: -36.5%)

Auburn Tigers vs Houston Cougars Betting Odds and Prediction

Arkansas’ top key to this game is going to be defending the three-point line against the Jayhawks. Gradey Dick is one of the best shooters in all of college basketball, and leads a Kansas team that has proven itself to be lethal from long distance as a whole. Arkansas needs to limit Dick’s looks from long-range if they are going to give themselves a chance to hang around throughout this contest.

On the Kansas side, the top key to this game is going to be continuing to maintain their edge with everything going on with Bill Self. The defending national champions have shown that they can win under adverse circumstances over the last couple of years. But off-court adversity is much different than on-court adversity, and it may be the only thing that can slow this Jayhawks team down.

March Madness Pick: Kansas | Bet Arkansas vs. Kansas Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game