The Clemson Tigers have proved to the world that they weren’t the pushover many thought they were. You almost always see at least one No. 4 or No. 5 seed fall in the NCAA Tournament First Round, and many thought that Clemson would be the team to go. The Tigers were just a five-point favorite per the CBB betting odds against New Mexico State and they were put on upset alert by Seth Davis.
Of course, Clemson is still around. The Tigers used two great defensive performances to beat New Mexico State and thrash Auburn. Those were great results, but now Clemson must face one of the top teams in the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas is relatively under the radar for a No. 1 seed, and the Jayhawks aren’t as big of a favorite in this one as you might imagine.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, March 23, 2018, at 7:25 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The game will be televised live on CBS. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game throughout March Madness.
Opening NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Kansas -4.5
Clemson +4.5
Over/Under 143
Clemson was widely dismissed after Donte Grantham was injured in mid-January. Grantham was the team’s leader and losing him to a torn ACL was devastating. However, the Tigers remained competitive, going 9-6 ATS per the CBB betting odds since that point. That has kept this team in the hunt.
The Jayhawks looked more vulnerable than ever before in Big 12 play this season. Winning the conference is typically Kansas’ birthright, but it struggled to win its 14th consecutive regular season title this year. Of course, the Jayhawks did eventually win both the regular season and postseason championships, but it wasn’t easy.
Key Stat
Kansas can spread the floor with three players who can let it fly from three. The Jayhawks have three great three-point shooters in Devonte’ Graham, Malik Newman, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.
All three players have taken at least 180 threes this season, and all three are hitting at least 40 percent from downtown. Of the three, the Ukrainemaker has been the best, hitting a blistering 45.5 percent from downtown.
That perimeter game comes at a cost though. Kansas is surprisingly weak on the glass. The Jayhawks don’t have a really great presence in the paint aside from Udoka Azubuike, and he has had issues with fouls this year.
Coaching Angle
This was a make or break year for Clemson head coach Brad Brownell. Brownell has been with the Tigers all decade, but he had only made it to the NCAA Tournament once prior to this year. He knew coming into the season that his job was likely on the line and he needed to lead Clemson back to the Big Dance at the very least.
It’s safe to say Brownell’s job his secure at this point. Clemson is in the Sweet 16 for the first time in over two decades, even without Grantham. However, he now has to face one of the most seasoned postseason coaches in the country in Bill Self.
Free March Madness ATS Picks
The opening odds on this game were very interesting. I expected Kansas to be at least a six point favorite, but seeing Clemson as a 4.5-point underdog has me believing that the Tigers have a very good chance in this game. They play defense well, and Kansas has had trouble putting teams away all year long.
Kansas had a ton of trouble stopping Angel Delgado with Azubuike injured in the last round, allowing Delgado to put up 24 points and 23 rebounds. Clemson does have some talented size down low, and that makes this team a very live dog to knock off another No. 1 seed.
NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds: Kansas 73, Clemson 71
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