Even though Wichita State was seeded lower than Dayton in their first round game, the Shockers were the favorites and came away with the win. They will be the underdogs in this one but have played well all season, so it’s a tough draw for Kentucky as they aim to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Kentucky has some of the most talented freshmen in the country and the question will be how well they work together on a big stage such as this. The Shockers have more experience and an outright upset may be unlikely but it’s not out of the question.
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College Basketball Odds
Kentucky is 30-5 straight up and 17-17-1 against the spread. The Wildcats have played in eight neutral site games this season and have gone 4-3-1 in those contests. They failed to cover the spread against Northern Kentucky. The Wildcats are 17-16-1 against the spread as the favorite on the season and have only been the underdog once.
Wichita State is 31-4 straight up and 18-13-1 against the spread. The Shockers have played in eight neutral site games this season and have covered in three of them. Despite being the lower-seeded team and beating Dayton by six points, Wichita State failed to cover, which was an indication how much the oddsmakers and the selection committee diverged on the belief in the Shockers. Wichita State has been favored in every game this season but won’t be in this one.
Player to Watch
Edrice Adebayo -- The Kentucky duo of Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox get the most attention, but Adebayo is another very talented player, and he came up huge in the opening round win. Adebayo had 15 points and a staggering 18 rebounds to help the Wildcats stem off the comeback attempt by Northern Kentucky.
Adebayo is averaging 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds on the season while shooting 61.4 percent from the floor. He also adds 1.6 blocks per game as he is an impressive presence in the paint on both ends of the court.
He has really hit his groove late in the year, averaging a double-double in his last five games, and will aim to keep it rolling against the Shockers.
Key Stat
5. That’s the ranking of Wichita State in Ken Pomeroy’s advanced analytics formula. It’s much higher than the Shockers have been seeded, but it is reason to worry for Kentucky. The teams that have been rated highly in the formula have thus far exceeded expectations for their seeding in the Big Dance and Wichita State is playing like a team much better than its seeding.
The problem for the Shockers is that the Wildcats are ranked No. 4 by Pomeroy. Kentucky is the more impressive athletic team and has the superior talent, but the Shockers play really well together as a team.
If the draw wasn’t set up like this, both of these teams may have been able to make a run to the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight or even further. However, the selection committee did them no favors by having them face off in the second round.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Wichita State was very underrated by the selection committee, and it’s unfortunate the Shockers must line up against Kentucky in the second round. If Wichita State was playing a less talented team it would be a popular choice, but this matchup is too tough.
While the Shockers play well as a team and should be able to keep this one close, Kentucky’s individual ability stands out and it should lead the team to a victory.
College Basketball Odds: Kentucky 86, Wichita State 78
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