Villanova Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawks NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Betting Preview & Odds
Saturday night Elite 8 Action I will take a look at the game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Kansas Jayhawks, which will take place at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. CBS will carry this game, which has a start time of 8:49 pm EST.
Current betting odds for this game have the have the Jayhawks listed as 2.5 point favorites, while the total has been set at 145.5.
The Villanova Wildcats have had a very strong season so far and it has continued here in the Big Dance as they have made it to the Elite 8 and have made it look very easy in the process. The Cats started with a 30 point win over NC Asheville and from there they took out Iowa by 19 and Miami by 23. Now they take on their toughest test yet in the Kansas Jayhawks. Villanova comes in at 9-2 ATS their last 11 games after scoring 90 points or more and they are 35-16-2 ATS in their last 53 non-conference games, but we also note that #2 seeds in this round are just 3-10-1 ATS if they are off a double digit ATS win. The Wildcats are led by Josh Hart, who averages 15.4 ppg, Kris Jenkins (13.5 ppg) and Ryan Arcidiacono (12.3 ppg) each had 21 points to lead the Cats in the win over the Canes. Daniel Ochefu leads the team in rebounding at 7.6 rpg and he rounds out the double digit scorers on the team with 10.1 ppg. Villanova has been a good offensive team this year as they come in ranked 57th in scoring, putting up 77.9 ppg, while also ranking 27th in shooting overall, 132nd from long range and 2nd from the free throw line. On defense they have been strong as they rank 15th in points allowed, giving up just 63.8 ppg, while also ranking 36th in defensive FG% overall, and 139th in 3-point defense. The Wildcats are 202nd in the nation in rebounding, while they commit just 11.1 turnovers per game (42nd) and force 13.7 turnovers per game (80th).
The Kansas Jayhawks have parlayed the overall #1 seed into a trip to the Elite 8 and they will be seeking their first Final four since 2012. Kansas also had a rather easy time getting here as they took out Austin Peay by 26, UConn by 12 and Maryland by 16. Kansas has won their last 17 games in a row, going 14-3 ATS in those games and they are also 19-7 ATS in their last 26 non-conference games, but we also note that Big 12 teams are 0-11 ATS the last 11 times the conference made it to the Elite 8 round. Kansas is led by Perry Ellis, who averages 17.2 ppg and had 27 points vs Maryland. He is now averaging 23 ppg in the tournament. Wayne Selden Jr is 2nd on the team in scoring at 13.7 ppg, while Frank Mason (12.8 ppg) and Devonte Graham (11.2 ppg) also average in double figures for the Jayhawks. Landen Lucas leads the team in rebounding at 6.6 rpg and he has a solid game vs the Terps as he pulled down 11 boards and chipped in with 14 points. Overall the Jayhawks come in ranked 14th in in the nation in scoring, putting up 81.9 ppg, while also ranking 5th in shooting overall, 3rd from long range and 119th at the charity stripe. On defense the Jayhawks are 72nd in the nation in points allowed, giving up just 67.7 ppg, while also ranking 22nd in defensive FG% and 64th in 3-point defense. Kansas is 77th in the nation in rebounding, while they commit 12.4 turnovers per game (149) and force 13.0 turnovers per game (133rd).
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