Kansas vs Howard Prediction: Picks, Live Odds & Moneyline – Thursday, March 16, 2023

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The top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks (27-7) meet the No. 16 Howard Bison (22-12) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, tipping off at 2:00 PM.

Thursday’s matchup between the Jayhawks and the Bison features the Jayhawks as massive 22-point favorites. The over/under is 146.5 points for the game.

Kansas vs. Howard Odds

Point Spread for Kansas vs. Howard

The spread for this matchup is set at 22 points, with bookmakers listing Kansas as the favorite.

Kansas vs. Howard Moneyline

As for the moneyline, Kansas has -6250 odds to pick up the win, while Howard is listed at +1720 to claim victory.

Over/Under

Finally, the total for the game is set at 146.5 points.

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Game Time and How to Watch

  • Game Day: Thursday, March 16, 2023
  • Game Time: 2:00 PM ET
  • TV Channel: TBS
  • Location: Des Moines, Iowa
  • Arena: Wells Fargo Arena

Kansas vs. Howard Betting Trends

In Kansas’ 34 games this year, it has 16 wins against the spread. The Jayhawks have been favorites in 28 games this season and have come away with the win 24 times (85.7%) in those contests. Kansas’ games this year have eclipsed the over/under 16 times in 31 opportunities (51.6%).

Howard has 18 wins against the spread in 31 games this season. The Bison have put together a 7-10 record in games they were listed as the moneyline underdog (winning 41.2% of those games). Howard’s games this year have gone over the total in 15 of 31 opportunities (48.4%).

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Kansas vs. Howard Key Players to Watch

Kansas

Jalen Wilson averages 20.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game — both team highs. He is also averaging 2.3 assists, shooting 42.5% from the floor and 33.8% from beyond the arc with 2 made 3-pointers per game. Gradey Dick posts 14.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. At the other end, he puts up 1.4 steals and 0.3 blocked shots. Kevin McCullar is putting up 10.7 points, 2.3 assists and 7.1 rebounds per contest.
Dajuan Harris paces his team in assists per contest (6.2), and also averages 8.7 points and 2.4 rebounds. Defensively, he delivers 2.1 steals and 0.4 blocked shots.

Howard

William Settle is the Bison’s top rebounder (5.7 per game), and he produces 11 points and 1.1 assists. Jelani Williams is averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest, making 43.8% of his shots from the field. The Bison get 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game from Shy Odom.

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What you need to know about the Kansas Jayhawks

Offensively, the Jayhawks are scoring 74.9 points per game (103rd-ranked in college basketball). They are surrendering 67.9 points per contest at the other end of the court (114th-ranked). Kansas is averaging 33.2 boards per game (89th-ranked in college basketball). It is allowing 32 rebounds per contest (243rd-ranked).

Kansas is sinking 7 three-pointers per game (222nd-ranked in college basketball) this year, while owning a 34.4% three-point percentage (171st-ranked). The Jayhawks are 70th in the country with 6.4 threes allowed per game so far this season. Meanwhile, they rank 44th with a 31.2% shooting percentage allowed from beyond the arc.

The Jayhawks have a 6-4 record against the spread while going 8-2 overall over their past 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Kansas has gone over the total twice. Kansas’ offense has been worse over its last 10 games, putting up 72.2 points a contest compared to the 74.9 it has averaged this year. Kansas’ defense has been more stingy lately, as the team has allowed 66.7 points per game over its past 10 compared to the 67.9 points per game its opponents average on the season.

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What you need to know about the Howard Bison

The Bison are 86th in college basketball in points scored (75.5 per game) and 235th in points allowed (71.9). In 2022-23, Howard is 130th in the nation in rebounds (32.5 per game) and 59th in rebounds conceded (29.1).

Beyond the arc, Howard is 104th in college basketball in 3-pointers made per game (8). It is 23rd-best in 3-point percentage at 37.7%. The Bison give up 7.2 3-pointers per game and concede 33.8% from beyond the arc, ranking 178th and 183rd, respectively, in the nation.

The Bison have a 6-4 record against the spread while finishing 8-2 overall in their last 10 contests. Howard has gone over the total in five of its past 10 outings. In its past 10 games, Howard is averaging 77.9 points per game, 2.4 more than its season average (75.5). Over their last 10 games, the Bison are surrendering 70 points per game, 1.9 fewer points than their season average (71.9).

Kansas vs. Howard Prediction & Pick

Our pick to win this matchup is Kansas, and we project that Howard will cover the spread (Kansas -22). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 146.5 points.

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How to bet Kansas vs. Howard

You can bet on Kansas vs. Howard at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.

And if you wanted to check out how much you could win on a $10 bet if you parlayed today’s Kansas vs. Howard picks, don’t forget to check out our free parlay calculator.

Not sure what a parlay is? Or even how to bet on college basketball? Check out our complete guide to sports betting.

WRITTEN BY

Matt Rooney

Matt comes from Chicago and has lived in the area his whole life. Graduated from and played football at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL while also serving as the director of student sports broadcasting. He writes for Betsperts as well as appears on several shows across the network.

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