The Davidson Wildcats have had plenty of time to prepare for the Kansas Jayhawks. It will have been 10 days since Davidson suited up when these teams meet on Saturday and there might be a little rust. Kansas has had a week off to prepare for Davidson and you can be sure that Bill Self has reminded his side that the last time these teams met, the Wildcats came out with a win. A Davidson win here would be huge for its chances to make the tournament if it doesn’t win the Atlantic-10.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, December 17, 2016, at the Spirit Center in Kansas City, MO. We will have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Wildcats are 5-3 SU and ATS this season and 1-1 as an underdog. They have covered 5 of their last 6 after a rough start to the season and have played solid defense against every team on their schedule except Clemson. The last time we saw them they were hanging around with a North Carolina squad considered to be the one of the best in the country and only lost by single digits in Chapel Hill.
The Jayhawks are 9-1 and have blown most of their opponents out this season, but haven’t faced a good opponent since taking on Duke in their second game of the season. Kansas has won each of its last eight by double digits but that hasn’t meant covers. This team is 2-4 ATS since knocking off Duke and has been favored by at least 18 points in five of those games.
Player to Watch
Jack Gibbs is the best player that Davidson has had on its roster since Steph Curry left for the NBA. People have made unfair comparisons between Gibbs and Curry as a result, but while Gibbs isn’t nearly the same talent that Curry was, he has been solid during his time at Davidson.
Gibbs is who the Wildcats turn to when they need a bucket and he has responded by being one of the nation’s leading scorers. He is averaging 24.3 PPG through seven games and chucks up threes without abandon. Gibbs didn’t shoot well at the start of the season, but has since been on fire from beyond the arc. Over his last three games, he has knocked down 16 of 33 three-point attempts and his hot hand kept this team in the game against North Carolina.
Kansas will focus on trying to stop him, but if he can get open looks, Davidson has a chance to pull off the upset.
Key Stat
There are few teams in the country as efficient as the Jayhawks. Kansas has been phenomenal at hitting shots this season and are third in the nation in field goal percentage. Self’s boys are sinking 52.8 percent of their shots and are almost as good from three, where they are hitting 43.1 percent of their attempts.
Surprisingly, as good as the Jayhawks are from the field, they are dreadful from the free throw line. Kansas is second-to-last in the country in free throw percentage, managing to score on just 58.8 percent of its opportunities. The Jayhawks don’t have a reliable free throw shooter they feel confident in and that could hurt this team come tournament time.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Check the odds at BookMaker.eu before you place a wager on this game, but expect Kansas to be a double-digit favorite. The Jayhawks are a potential Final Four team, but their woes at the foul line mean that this team could lose a lot of covers late. Against a team like Davidson, who can play up to its competition, don’t be surprised if that means a backdoor cover from the Wildcats.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas 84, Davidson 78
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