Two No. 1 seeds will match up in the twilight portion of the Final Four doubleheader on Saturday, but one is a clear favorite. The Villanova Wildcats will enter the national semifinals expected to come away with the victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.
Villanova began March Madness as the favorite and has not done anything to change people’s minds as it has breezed through the first four rounds. Kansas was the underdog against Duke in the Elite Eight but played well and picked up an overtime win to get to the Final Four.
The Jayhawks will aim to pull off a second consecutive upset in NCAA basketball odds.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Jayhawks and Wildcats will face off at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 31, 2018. Catch every moment of the games live on TBS.
We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NCAA Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Wildcats have been tabbed a five-point favorite. More than 71 percent of the action has been put on Kansas to cover the spread as the betting public believes this NCAA basketball betting line is too large. Villanova is -235 to win on the moneyline while the Jayhawks are listed at +195. The scoring total is listed at 155 points as this should be an entertaining up and down affair.
Kansas is 31-7 straight up and 20-17 against the spread. The Jayhawks have covered in seven of ten attempts at a neutral site this season. Kansas has only been the underdog five times this season and has covered in half of them.
Villanova is 34-4 straight up and 25-12-1 against the spread. The Wildcats have gone 10-2-1 against the spread at neutral sites. Villanova has been favored in every game this season and that won’t change in this one or the national title game if it gets that far. Villanova has covered in every March Madness game.
Player To Watch
Malik Newman — The Kansas sophomore guard played a huge role in the team’s win over Duke last time out, scoring 32 points, hauling down seven rebounds and grabbing three steals. Newman was impressive from downtown, hitting 5-of-12 three-pointers, and each one was needed in such a close game.
Newman has been hot from downtown throughout the NCAA Tournament and if he can have a big game it will help Kansas have a shot at pulling off the upset. He averages 14.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest.
He is shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from three-point range on the year. Villanova must make sure it knows where Newman is at all times in this contest.
Key Stat
18.25. That’s the average margin of victory of Villanova in this tournament. The Wildcats started off March Madness with a 87-61 win over No. 16 Radford before defeating No. 9 Alabama 81-58 in the second round.
Their last two victories were by slimmer margins, but the Wildcats still won both of them by double digits. Villanova beat No. 5 West Virginia and No. 3 Texas Tech by 12 points each the last two rounds.
The Wildcats are averaging 86.6 points per game this season which ranks No. 1 in the nation. Their defense has held opposing offenses to 70.2 points per game this year.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Kansas is a formidable foe, so Villanova is going to be in for a tough game in this matchup. However, the Wildcats are the choice to come away with the victory and move on to the national championship game.
But when it comes to covering the spread, the Jayhawks are going to be able to finish within four points and pay off in NCAA basketball wagering. Take the “under” as the Villanova defense will keep this one lower-scoring than expected.
NCAA Odds: Villanova 77, Kansas 73
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