Villanova vs Kansas March Madness Odds

How to Bet the Villanova vs Kansas March Madness Odds

Written by on March 25, 2016

The top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks may have looked very good in their Sweet 16 win over Maryland on Thursday night, but they’ll have their hands full in trying to avoid the upset loss against a second-seeded Villanova team that looked absolutely stupendous in dispatching Miami in its own Sweet 16 showdown on Thursday. Now, let’s find out if the Jayhawks can avoid the upset. Find out the latest NCAAB betting odds soon.

How to Bet the Villanova Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawks March Madness Odds

When: 8:49 PM  ET, Saturday, March 26, 2016 Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky TV: CBS Live Stream: March Madness Live Line: Kansas -2.5 Total: 147

Why Bet the Villanova Wildcats

After seeing the way Villanova (32-5, 18-17-1 ATS, 19-16 O/U)  played in dispatching No. 3 Miami 92-69 on Thursday, I believe the Wildcats can very well beat any team in the country, even mighty Kansas. The Wildcats shot a blistering 62.7 percent from the field in the win over the Hurricanes and an even more incendiary 66.7 percent from beyond the arc (10-for-15). Villanova placed four players in double digits in scoring and got a team-high 21 points apiece from Kris Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono in the win while out-rebounding the Hurricanes by 10. “I think we’re taking better shots,” he said. “We’re taking what the defense gives us while being aggressive.” “I wanted to be aggressive and set the tone on defense,” the 6-3 senior said. “I found myself getting open looks (on offense) and my teammates did a good job of getting me the ball in spots where I could score. It’s just a mindset.” The Wildcats are ranked 57th in the nation in scoring (77.9 ppg) and a stellar 27th in field goal shooting percentage (47.8%).

Why Bet the Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas (33-4, 24-11 ATS, 13-21 O/U) took control in the second half of their 77-63 Sweet 16 win over Maryland on Thursday night as All-American forward Perry Ellis scored a game-high 27 points and high-flying swingman Wayne Selden Jr. added 19 points en route to the commanding win over the Terrapins. Kansas put the clamps on Maryland defensively, limiting the Terps to just 40.0 percent shooting from the field and 20.0 percent from beyond the arc while winning the rebounding battle by a whopping 15 boards. Ellis, a 6-foot-8 senior, scored 15 points in the second half and dominated the Terps down low. “I’ve gotten a lot more aggressive,” Ellis said. “My teammates, coaches, are all telling me to be aggressive, and that’s what I’m trying to do. They have a lot of confidence in me.”
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Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

Again, maybe it’s me, but I’m really like Villanova as an underdog in this contest and believe they’re going to cover the spread by beating Kansas outright. Villanova matches up well against a Jayhawks team that isn’t overly big or athletic up front and depends on their guard play far more than they depend on the contributions of forward Perry Ellis. I love Villanova’s ability to make shots and the ‘fearless’ style of hoops that all Philadelphia-based basketball teams play with. Small forward Kris Jenkins has gone crazy for the Cats recently, scoring 21 points or more in five of his last 10 games while topping the 15-point plateau in nine of those contests and averaging a stellar 19.6 points over the stretch. Jenkins drained three-pointer against Miami from 35-feet, or more k=like what is known as Steph Curry range in today’s times. 6-11 forward Daniel Ochefu scored 17 points against Miami and could be the key to Villanova winning this contest if he can give Ellis trouble in the low post. I know the Jayhawks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against a team with a winning straight up record and an identical 4-0 ATS in their last four neutral site games, but Villanova is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game and 4-1 ATS in their last five NCAA Tournament games. Again, while Kansas has gone 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games overall and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games, the Wildcats counter with a stellar 35-16-2 ATS mark in their last 53 non-conference games and 38-18-1 ATS in their last 57 games against a team with a winning straight up record. The Wildcats are the better defensive team and better overall when it comes to players one through eight. It might seem like an upset when Villanova wins this contest, but not to me.

The Pick: Villanova +2.5 Points