The No. 16 Penn Quakers (24-8) battle against the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (27-7) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Intrust Bank Arena. The Jayhawks opened as a 14-point favorite. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 146 points and it starts at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
Penn Quakers vs. Kansas Jayhawks ATS Odds
Both teams were victorious in their last game. The Jayhawks defeated the 18th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers 81-70, while the Quakers won a close one over the Harvard Crimson 68-65.
Penn played a nearly flawless game. They had an effective field goal percentage of 0.538 (above their season average of 0.534) and a turnover percentage of 10.6 (better than their season average of 15.0). For those same stats, Harvard was 0.482 and 11.7, respectively. Kansas, on the other hand, couldn’t miss, shooting 56.4 percent from the field. They also held West Virginia to a field goal percentage of 40.0. Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham had a good game, putting up 18 points and 13 assists. Penn received a boost from AJ Brodeur, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
This matchup pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Kansas currently ranks 15th in offensive efficiency and Penn ranks 16th in defensive efficiency.
Of the Quakers’ 27 games with betting action, 17 have finished over the total. Penn is 24-8 straight up (SU), but they are just 12-14-1 against the spread (ATS).
Unlike Penn, just over half of Jayhawks games have finished under the total. Further, Kansas is 27-7 SU and 18-14-1 ATS.
AJ Brodeur and Darnell Foreman have played well over the last five games for Penn. Brodeur has averaged 15.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, while Foreman has put up 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists a game during that span.
Penn Quakers vs. Kansas Jayhawks Betting Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Penn, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Penn ranks 52nd in three pointers attempted per game (25.0) while Kansas ranks 243rd in three pointers allowed per game (23.7).
- The Quakers rank 32nd in steals allowed per game (5.2) while the Jayhawks rank 70th (5.6).
- Kansas averages 4.2 blocks per game, which ranks 58th in the NCAA. Penn ranks 60th in blocks allowed per game (2.8).
- The Quakers average 37.7 rebounds per game, which ranks 66th in the NCAA. The Jayhawks rank 167th in rebounds allowed per game (35.1).
- Penn ranks sixth in assists allowed per game (9.8) while Kansas ranks 100th (12.7).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Jayhawks have scored an average of 78.0 points per game (3.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 71.4 points per game (0.5 above their season average).
- The Quakers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.8, down from 7.8 for the season.
