The Kansas Jayhawks will face the Oregon Ducks on Saturday in Kansas City in the final step of their bid for the Final Four. The previous three opponents posed no troubled for the Midwest No. 1 seed, while the third-seeded Ducks, on the other side, seem to have a knack for winning close games.
Place: Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Date/Time: Saturday March 25th, 2017. 08:50 PM ET
TV Coverage: CBS
#1 Kansas Jayhawks vs. #3 Oregon Ducks
LINE: Kansas -6.5 (-106);
Total: 156.5 points (-105 over, -104 under)
Third consecutive blowout by the Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks (31-4) will not slow down on their own and Purdue was not the team to make them. The Jayhawks have put quite a show in front of their fans at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, outplaying the Boilermakers and winning comfortably 98-66. They’ve won all three Tournament games by at least 20 points. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story though, but shows that the Jayhawks know how to put their opponents away and that they are merciless doing it. The game was not exactly close, but Purdue was within 10 points with 10 minutes to go before Kansas run away with it.
The Jayhawks seem to get better as the tournament progresses. Once again, the game didn’t start too well for them and they trailed by 7 midway through the first half. It was the strong outside shooting of the Boilermakers that has put them in the hole, but Kansas game plan came to fruition soon after. They’ve collapsed on Swanigan and other bigs, not allowing them to get into the flow. At first, Purdue’s inside-outside game was working perfectly, but when the fatigue settled in, Swanigan tried to counter with deep shots of his own, making the inside presence less of a factor. Meanwhile, Kansas was able to get in transition and put the pressure on Purdue defense. By halftime, it was Jayhawks by 7. Kansas shot the ball extremely well (disregarding 15-of-22 from the charity line). Guards Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham paced them with 26 points apiece and 9 threes. As a team, the Jayhawks have hit 15 three-pointers and shot around 54 percent of their both inside and outside shots. It was not just the shooting – Kansas won the rebounding battle against formidable Purdue frontcourt and committed less turnovers and less fouls.
Dorsey carries the Ducks in another nail biter win
The Oregon Ducks (31-5) remain perfect in the postseason by a 69-68 decider over the Michigan Wolverines. This was a close game all the way. The Ducks led for the most part, but have found themselves trailing by 3 with two minutes left. After the biggest rebound of the game after a missed free-throw and a put back by Jordan Bell, and a Dorsey layup, Oregon managed to prevent the Wolverines from scoring twice in the last minute to hold onto the win.
The Ducks shifted between press, zone and man-to-man defenses and made Michigan’s offense uncomfortable, settling late into their offense and being forced or beaten by the shot clock. Game MVP Jordan Bell played a crucial role in the defense as well, closing down on all penetration and discouraging Wolverines players to go to the rim or altering their shots. Both teams focused on getting back to prevent the transition, so it was mostly a half court game. The Ducks made just 44 percent of their twos, but have shot well from the deep, hitting 8 threes on just 17 attempts. As in the last month or so, Tyler Dorsey led the way with his 20 points and five triples, while Jordan Bell added 16 points, 13 boards and 2 blocks. Dillon Brooks was not shooting well, but managed to contribute with some dimes (5) and boards (4) on top of 12 points. Ennis almost played a role of a villain with the two missed free throws in the decisive moments of the game, but the Ducks still found the way to reach their second consecutive regional finals.
#1 Kansas Jayhawks vs. #3 Oregon Ducks Game Trends & Prediction
Kansas Jayhawks are only 14-18-1 against the spread though, but have easily delivered on all three postseason occasions. Their last 5 games ended in overs, bringing their season O/U record to 17-16.
Oregon Ducks last game was a push if you have waited until the closing line, but if you have been able to take them early, like I did, you won’t mind how it counts in their 20-15-1 ATS record. The game also went to under, breaking the streak of four over games in a row, bringing their O/U record to 17-19 overall.
Considering that we have reached this far in this year’s edition of the NCAA Tournament, the handicap of 6.5 points the Kansas Jayhawks are facing is pretty high. But Oregon is not the same team as it was a month ago. They’ve muscled their way to reach this far by determination and willpower, showing plenty of deficiencies. I’m sure the Jayhawks will find a way to exploit Ducks paint troubles and set up the arena on fire. And the Jayhawks don’t just cruise to victory, they build the lead until the final whistle. I’m going with the public again and picking Kansas to advance and cover the spread. I’m also going with the over.
My Pick: Kansas -6.5
Total: Over 156.5 points
