The Kentucky Wildcats may not be one of the four best teams in the country this season, but the schedule is setting them up nicely for a Final Four run regardless. Kentucky is only the No. 5 seed in the South Region but that is the highest seed remaining. The Wildcats will look to move on to the Elite Eight next time out when they face off against the No. 9 seed Kansas State Wildcats.
Kansas State is coming off an ugly win over University of Maryland- Baltimore County and will need to play much better in order to have a shot at winning this contest. Kansas State will enter as the underdog but Kentucky isn’t as dominant as in years past so it wouldn’t be a shock for Kansas State to pull off the upset.
Kentucky is hoping to play well and remove all doubt from this one early on in NCAA basketball betting lines.
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Odds Analysis
Kentucky is listed as the 6.5-point favorite in this one, and the betting public is on board as more than 57 percent of the action is on Kentucky to cover. Kansas State is listed as the +234 underdog on the moneyline, while Kentucky is the -285 favorite. The scoring total is listed at 138.5 points, with the “under” the more popular pick thus far in the week.
Kansas State is 24-11 straight up and 15-17 against the spread. The Wildcats have only covered in two of eight tries at neutral sites. Kansas State has covered in half of its 16 games as the underdog on the year.
Kentucky is 26-10 straight up and 19-17 against the spread. The Wildcats have gone an impressive 7-1 against the spread on neutral courts this year. Kentucky is 15-12 against the spread as the favorite.
Last Time Out
Kansas State was able to avoid top-seeded Virginia in the first round when the Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed in history to lose to a No. 16 when UMBC pulled the upset. The Wildcats didn’t look great against UMBC but were able to come away with a hard-fought 50-43 win. Kansas State only shot 40.9 percent from the field and was horrific from downtown, but its defense led the way. Kansas State made it to the second round by dispatching Creighton in its opening game of March Madness.
Kentucky has not played a single-digit seed through two rounds. It knocked off Davidson by five points in the opening round and then was lucky to avoid Arizona in the second round after it fell to Buffalo. The Bulls gave Kentucky a challenge early on but the Wildcats eventually pulled away in the second half for a 95-75 victory.
Player To Watch
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Kentucky’s freshman guard is coming off a stellar performance in the second round and presents a big threat to opposing defenses. In a rout of Buffalo last game, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists.
What’s more, the young player finished 10-of-12 from the field in that 95-75 win against the Bulls, including 2-of-2 from behind-the-arc. He also had 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against Davidson.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been playing well all season but really seemed to hit his groove late in the year and has continued that into this tournament. He is averaging 14.4 points per game on the season, but 19.4 over the last nine contests, which marked the beginning of his current hot streak.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Kentucky’s living right, first missing Arizona in the round of 32 and then Virginia in the Sweet Sixteen. Look for the Wildcats to take advantage of this schedule by rolling into the Elite Eight. Kentucky’s athleticism should be too much for a Kansas State team that is solid but not as talented overall.
Kentucky is the pick to cover the March Madness betting spread in addition to winning the game straight up.
NCAA Odds: Kentucky 75, Kansas State 68
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