The Kansas Jayhawks were victorious in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region with a comfortable 76-60 win over the Pennsylvania Quakers on Thursday, March 15. Kansas successfully covered the -13.5 spread, while the clash went way under the total of 146 points.
The Jayhawks will move to the Round of 32 where they will meet the winner of the matchup between Seton Hall and North Carolina State, and whoever wins in that clash, Kansas must be considered a strong favorite.
The odds for the match between Kansas and Seton Hall or North Carolina State will be released by BetDSI Sportsbook in a few hours, and the Jayhawks should not have problems to reach the Sweet 16.
Game Recap
Pennsylvania played well in an opening ten minutes of the tilt, but Kansas took over and finished the first half with a 7-point advantage, while they kept the distance after intermission, giving no chance to the Quakers to come close and make a potential upset.
The Jayhawks shot 44.3% from the field and hit seven out of 17 attempts from beyond the arc (41.2%), while they made ten more shots from the foul line (15-5). Additionally, Kansas was better in rebounds (41-33), steals (8-4), and blocks (6-2).
Devonte’ Graham led all players with 29 points, six boards, six assists, and game-high three thefts; Lagerald Vick added 14 points and a couple of steals, while Malik Newman contributed with ten points and six rebounds.
Kansas’ odds to win the NCAA Tournament can be found at BetDSI and they are pegging the Bulldogs at +1700, which means that Bill Self’s side is among the favorites to lift the NCAA title this year. The Jayhawks’ next possible opponents Seton Hall (+20000) and North Carolina State (+21000) have similar chances to win the big final, but they must be considered as huge underdogs in this year’s tournament.
