Look at the Best March Madness Bet Today! Arkansas vs Kansas Odds, Prediction – First Round

Best March Madness Bet Today! Two Hall of Fame coaches face off in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament’s first round on Thursday when John Calipari and No. 10 seed Arkansas of the SEC face Bill Self and No. 7 Kansas of the Big 12 in West Region action from Providence, with the Jayhawks as solid favorites on the NCAAB odds.

And the winner most likely faces No. 2 seed St. John’s and Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino in Round 2.

Best March Madness Bet Today: Arkansas vs Kansas Odds & TV Info

NCAAB Lines: Kansas -227 / Arkansas +182
When: Thursday, 7:10 PM ET
Where: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence
TV: CBS
Stream: Paramount+

This marks the third NCAA Tournament meeting between the Razorbacks and Jayhawks, with Arkansas winning in 2023 and Kansas in 1991. It is also the third tournament encounter for coaches Calipari and Self, with Self leading their overall matchup 7-6, including one victory during his time at Illinois.

John Calipari

“He won a national championship against me, I won a national championship against him,” Calipari said of Self. “We’ve played, he’s beaten us in Rupp [Arena], we’ve beaten him in Allen [Fieldhouse]…. I mean, we’ve done this at a level for a long, long time, both of us.”

Arkansas and Kansas will face off for the 14th time, with KU leading 8-6. Arkansas has won the last two meetings, including a 72-71 NCAA Tournament victory in 2023. They also played an exhibition on Oct. 25, where Arkansas won 85-69, both missing key players from their rosters.

Calipari Returns To Big Dance

Arkansas won 20 games in 2024-25 and faced 18 teams in this year’s NCAA field, posting an 10-11 record in those games. The school earned its 37th NCAA bid and fourth in a five-year span. This is the second time in program history Arkansas has earned a No. 10 seed. It is 50-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 19-8 record in first-round games.

In his first season at the school, Calipari is leading a fourth program to the NCAA tournament. He led UMass to the Final Four, reached the national finals with Memphis and guided Kentucky to the championship in 2012. Arkansas, the 1994 national champion, made back-to-back Elite Eight appearances under Eric Musselman in 2022 and 2023. Calipari’s 57 NCAA Tournament wins ties for most among active coaches with Kansas’ Bill Self.

Injuries

Calipari’s team endured injuries to multiple key players and a rigorous SEC schedule this season. Excellent freshman Boogie Fland started the first 18 games at point guard and led the team in scoring and assists before injuring his hand against Florida on Jan. 11. He hasn’t played since, but he has been practicing and will play against Kansas. Forward Adou Thiero (15.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG) had been Arkansas’ first option in Fland’s absence, but he’s doubtful to play Thursday due to a knee injury.

Arkansas has played in the postseason in Providence twice before — the 1996 NCAA Tournament and the 2019 NIT. In 1996 the Razorbacks entered as a 12 seed and made a run to the Sweet 16. In 2019, Arkansas made the trip to face the Friars in the first round of the NIT. The Razorbacks won 84-72 and advanced to face Indiana on the road.

Kansas Has Underachieved

There is no sugarcoating that this has been one of Bill Self’s most disappointing teams at Kansas, which was the preseason national championship and Big 12 favorite but is just 21-12 overall and was 11-9 in Big 12 regular-season play, only good for sixth. And then Kansas was eliminated fairly easily in the Big 12 tourney quarters by Arizona. This is the first time in Bill Self’s 22 seasons that the Jayhawks have been selected lower than a No. 4 seed.

Kansas’ Stats

The Jayhawks lead the Big 12 in assists per game (17.7, fifth nationally) and blocked shots per game (4.8, 24th nationally). KU is second in the league in FG Pct. Defense (39.9%, 15th nationally) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.51, 25th nationally). Dajuan Harris Jr. is second in the Big 12 in assists per game at 5.7 which is 30th nationally. Harris is third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.14, which is ninth nationally.

Kansas is making its 51st tournament appearance and has a 112-49 record in the event. The Jayhawks are 47-5 all-time in the first round, including 37-2 since 1981. KU has not lost a first-round contest since 2006. It has advanced to 31 Sweet 16s, 15 Final Fours and four of its six national championships have been in NCAA Tournament format (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022).

KU is a No. 7 seed for just the second time in program history, the first being in 1981 when the Jayhawks went 2-1 and advanced to the Sweet 16. KU returns to the NCAA West Region for the first time since the 2023 season. The Jayhawks have a strong history in the NCAA Tournament, holding a 47-5 record in first-round games and an all-time tournament record of 113-50.

Arkansas vs Kansas NCAAB Game Trends

• Razorbacks are 9-2-2 ATS in their last 13 games.
• Arkansas are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games against Big 12 opponents.
• Razorbacks are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing as the underdog.
• The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arkansas’ last 7 games.
• Jayhawks are 6-12 ATS in their last 18 games.
• Kansas are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing as the favorite.
• Jayhawks are 18-1 SU in their last 19 games played on a Thursday.
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas’ last 5 games.
• Kansas are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games played on a Thursday when playing at home.

Best March Madness Bet Today: Arkansas vs Kansas Prediction

Both the Jayhawks and Razorbacks were ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 but have fallen out. Kansas was No. 1 and Arkansas was No. 16. The Jayhawks have never advanced to the Sweet 16 after being preseason No. 1. The Razorbacks are rated No. 40 by KenPom. The Jayhawks are No. 21. Both teams are rated in KenPom’s top 20 defenses but have struggled on offense. Kansas has the No. 43 offense and Arkansas is No. 73.

Calipari vs Pitino?

If Arkansas beats Kansas and St. John’s beats Omaha in the first round, then John Calipari and Rick Pitino, the former Kentucky coaches and former friends, will meet in the second round with a Sweet 16 invitation on the line. They are cordial, although Pitino recently said they are “not the best of friends.” Still, the hype around that game would be magnified.

However, we think KU moves on thanks to being one of the most experienced and talented teams in the tournament, with double-double machine Hunter Dickinson in the middle and 2022 national champions Dajuan Harris Jr. at the point and KJ Adams Jr. alongside.

Hunter Dickinson

Dickinson will be the best player on the floor as the All-American leads Kansas in scoring at 17.6 points per game, ranking fourth in the Big 12 and also leads KU in rebounding at 10.0 boards per game, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 11th nationally. Dickinson has 16 double-doubles this season, ranking second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally. He is only the third player in NCAA history to have 2,700-plus points and 1,400-plus rebounds. Additionally, he is second on the team in both blocked shots (44) and steals (33). Kansas 76, Arkansas 72.

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