The No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (27-7) go head-to-head against the No. 16 Penn Quakers (24-8) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Intrust Bank Arena. The game is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 146 points with Kansas opening as a 14-point favorite.
Penn Quakers vs. Kansas Jayhawks Betting Prediction
In the , the Quakers defeated the Harvard Crimson, 68-65. The Quakers had a better effective field goal percentage (0.538 vs. 0.482) and had a turnover percentage of 10.6 (better than their season average of 15.0). Penn was led by AJ Brodeur, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Jayhawks defeated the No. 18 West Virginia Mountaineers in the , 81-70. Kansas was lights out from beyond the arc (15-27; 55.6 percent). West Virginia, on the other hand, did an excellent job of converting from the free throw line (10-10; 100.0 percent). With 18 points and 13 assists, Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham had a solid outing.
This showdown pits one of the NCAA’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Kansas ranks 15th in offensive efficiency and Penn ranks 16th in defensive efficiency.
Penn has a phenomenal 24-8 straight up (SU) record, but they are just 12-14-1 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to place the total low when the Quakers are involved, as 63.0 percent of their games have finished over the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Kansas owns records of 27-7 SU and 18-14-1 ATS. In opposition of Penn, just over half of Jayhawks games have finished under the projected point total.
AJ Brodeur and Darnell Foreman have played at a high level over the last five games for Penn. Brodeur has averaged 15.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Not to be outdone, Foreman has put up 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists a game during that span.
Penn Quakers vs. Kansas Jayhawks Pick
Free Basketball Tip: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Penn, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Penn averages 25.0 three pointers per game, which ranks 52nd in the nation. Kansas ranks 243rd in three pointers allowed per game (23.7).
The Quakers average 37.7 rebounds per game, which ranks 66th in the NCAA. The Jayhawks rank 167th in rebounds allowed per game (35.1).
Penn ranks sixth in assists allowed per game (9.8) while Kansas ranks 100th (12.7).
The Quakers rank 32nd in steals allowed per game (5.2) while the Jayhawks rank 70th (5.6).
Kansas ranks 58th in blocks per game (4.2) while Penn ranks 60th in blocks allowed per game (2.8).
Bettings Trends:
The Quakers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.8, down from 7.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Jayhawks have scored an average of 78.0 points per game (3.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 71.4 points per game (0.5 above their season average).
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