Kansas Is Favored to Win the Matchup of Last Two National Champs
UConn vs Kansas Odds Favor Jayhawks to Push Home Winning Streak to Nine
Kansas Hoping for Better Result Than Last Matchup Against Big East
The last two men’s Division I national champions will be squaring when UConn heads to Lawrence to meet up with Kansas in the Big East-Big 12 Battle. The UConn vs Kansas odds favor the host Jayhawks.
This is the first time the teams have met since Kansas won in the second round of the 2016 NCAA tournament in Des Moines, Iowa and the first matchup during the college basketball regular season since 1997.
Kansas is listed as a 3-point favorite according to the college basketball odds.
Kansas was sitting atop the national polls until a 14-point loss to Marquette in the Maui Invitational while UConn is the last remaining undefeated team in the Big East.
Freshman Stephon Castle is not expected to play while guard Patrick Cassidy is out for Kansas.
UConn is fourth in the Associated Press poll as the Huskies received two first-place votes while the Huskies are also fourth in the coaches poll. Kansas dropped four spots to No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and went from first to sixth in the coaches poll.
Kansas (+1200) is second only behind Purdue in the odds of winning the national championship with UConn tied for third at +1400 in the NCAA basketball championship odds.
UConn at Kansas 
Date & time (TV):
Location: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS
Line: Kansas -3
Total: 149
Streaming: ESPN2, ESPN+
Spencer Making Presence Felt
With UConn losing five of its top eight scorers from the team that won the national title, there were some openings for newcomers to make an immediate impact.
Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer leads the list of the Huskies thriving in their first season at UConn.
Spencer is averaging 16.3 points per game. He has at least two 3-pointers in every game this season. He recently connected on his 200th career 3-pointer counting his three years at Loyola (MD) and one season at Rutgers. Keep that in mind when it comes to the UConn vs Kansas Odds.
He has teamed with returning UConn players Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingan and Alex Karaban to lead UConn to a 7-0 start.
UConn is 15-4 against the NCAA basketball betting lines in its last 19 games and has covered in four of its last five road games.
Dickinson Fitting Right In
Hunter Dickinson was the big prize in the transfer portal and Kansas landed the former Michigan star.
The 7-foot-2 Dickinson is averaging 21 points and 16.5 rebounds in the two games since Kansas suffered its first loss of the season.
In three games against ranked opponents so far this season, Dickinson is 20-of-35 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. That could factor into the UConn vs Kansas odds.
He is joined as double-digit scorers on the Kansas team by Kevin McCullar and K.J. Adams, one of the holdovers from the Kansas team that won the national title.
Kansas has covered against the spread in just one of its last five games.
Last Meeting
When looking at the NCAA basketball scores, Kansas led by 20 points and halftime and despite a second-half surge from UConn, rolled into the regionals in the 2016 NCAA Division I tournament.
UConn, a 7.5-point underdog, did pull within nine points in the final minute but Frank Mason hit four free throws down the stretch as Kansas covered with the 73-61 win. The game fell under the 140-point total.
UConn vs Kansas Betting Preview
Both NCAAB teams are shooting over 50% from the floor so this could be an entertaining matchup of national title contenders.
There was a time when it looked as if this could be a showdown between the No. 1 and 2 teams in the country but instead, it is a NCAAB matchup between teams ranked fourth and fifth in the national polls.
UConn averages more rebounds, steals and blocked shots per game with Kansas having the edge in assists. UConn is third among Division I teams in rebound margin and is fourth in scoring margin.
Kansas has won all three previous meetings against UConn.
Kansas is 3-0 at home this season and has won eight straight home games with this being UConn’s first true road game.
The Huskies are listed as the underdog for the first time this season.
The total has gone over in 13 of UConn’s last 18 games against Big 12 opponents. The total is set at 149 in this matchup.
Heading into Allen Fieldhouse for the first true road game of a season makes for a challenging assignment for UConn. Go with the host Jayhawks to take care of business, especially since Castle, a possible lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is not expected to play for UConn.
For NCAAB news, betting odds, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
