Check out our free Howard vs Kansas pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Des Moines. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

Howard vs Kansas Pick & Preview: Thursday, March 16th Betting Odds

Bison vs Jayhawks Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Howard Bison at Kansas Jayhawks
  • Where: Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena (IA)
  • Date: Thursday, March 16th
  • Betting Odds: Howard +23, HOWRD +1500 | KAN -5453 O/U 145.0

Bison Preview:

Howard heads into this matchup having played 34 games and have an overall record sitting at 22-12. So far, the Bison have played 17 games on the road, with a record of 7-10. For the season, Howard has been the underdog in 17 games, sitting with a mark of 7-10. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Bison being +23 point underdogs.

Howard’s leading scorer this season is Elijah Hawkins, who is averaging 12.97 points per contest. So far, Hawkins has accounted for 15.15% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 3.7 rebounds per game and 5.9 assists. Steve Settle III is the second leading scorer for the Bison, averaging 10.66 points per game. Between him and III, they are accounting for 28.4% of the team’s scoring.

So far this season, Howard has put together a strong scoring offense at 76.4 points per game (59th). This strong figure has come despite the Bison playing at a slow tempo compared to other schools. For the season, they have hit 35.7% of their shots from outside, which is closer to the NCAA average. Howard’s overall field goal percentage currently sits at 43.9%

Jayhawks Preview:

Kansas will take the floor against the Bison with an overall record of 27-7. Currently, the Jayhawks have been the home team 21 times, sitting with a record of 19-2. The Jayhawks’ are sitting with a betting line that is -23 points in their favor. For the season, Kansas has been favored to win in 28 games, sitting with a mark of 24-4.

Jalen Wilson comes into today’s game as the Jayhawks’ leading scorer at 20.09 points per contest. Not only has Wilson been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is Kansas’ top rebounder at 8.41 boards per contest. Behind Wilson, the team has benefited from the strong play of Gradey Dick, who is second on the team in scoring at 14.15 points per game. Overall, he has hit 44.1% of his shots and is adding 4.91 boards per game.

So far this season, Kansas has put together a strong scoring offense at 78.6 points per game (31st). This strong figure has come despite the Jayhawks playing at a slow tempo compared to other schools. For the season, they have hit 35.5% of their shots from outside, which is closer to the NCAA average. Kansas’ overall field goal percentage currently sits at 48.1%

Free Spread Prediction: Kansas Jayhawks -23

If you’re considering whether to make a bet against the spread in this matchup, we suggest betting on the Howard Bison team as +23 point underdogs. One obstacle that often hinders teams who are significant underdogs is being matched up against a team that can control the pace of the game. However, both Howard and Kansas come into today’s game with possession rates that are near the NCAA average. Given that the style of play won’t be a problem for the Bison and they have a 3-2 record against the spread in their last 5 games as underdogs, we think they will cover the spread at away.