The No. 13 seed Samford Bulldogs (29-5) will battle the 4th-seeded Kansas Jayhawks (22-10) Thursday in the 1st round of the Midwest Region. Tip from Delta Center in Salt Lake City is scheduled for 9:55 p.m. ET (TBS). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Samford vs. Kansas odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Samford has won 4 games in a row after beating ETSU 76-69 in the SoCon Championship Game Monday but failed to cover as an 8-point favorite. F Achor Achor'scored a game-high 25 points, while 3 total Samford players scored in double figures. The Bulldogs shot 43.4% from the field in the win.
Kansas fell 72-52 to Cincinnati in the 2nd round of the Big 12 Tournament March 13, failing to cover as a 3-point underdog. F K.J. Adams'scored a team-high 22 points vs. Cincy, while Kansas shot 33.9% from the field in the loss. The Jayhawks played without C Hunter Dickinson and leading scorer G Kevin McCullar Jr. (18.3 points per game) due to injuries. While Dickinson is expected to play Thursday, McCullar Jr. has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Kansas is No. 20 in the'USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.