NCAA Tournament Odds: Kansas, Gonzaga Heavy Favorites In Elite Eight Matchups
The Kansas Jayhawks can advance to the Final Four for the first time in five years when they battle the Oregon Ducks on Saturday as seven-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Jayhawks entered the Sweet 16 as +475 favorites on the national championship odds and dominated in a 98-66 rout of No. 4 seed Purdue as five-point chalk. That leaves them poised to become the first squad to score 90 or more points in four straight NCAA Tournament contests since the Connecticut Huskies accomplished the feat in 1995.
The Midwest Region?s top seed pounded No. 16 seed UC Davis 100-62 as 22 1/2-point chalk in the Round of 64 before handing No. 9 seed Michigan State a 90-70 defeat as a 7 1/2-point favorite and now has tallied 85 or more points in four of five games ahead of Saturday night?s matchup at the Sprint Center.
No. 3 seed Oregon advanced to the Elite Eight for a second straight year after escaping with a 69-68 victory over No. 7 seed Michigan to tally just its second against-the-spread win in its past five.
The Ducks are winless straight up in three straight Elite Eight appearances, including a 104-86 loss to the Jayhawks as 6 1/2-point underdogs in 2002, and are 0-5 SU and 2-3 ATS in their past six tournament games as underdogs of six or more points.
Earlier on Saturday, the West Region champion will be decided as No. 1 seed Gonzaga meets No. 11 seed Xavier as an eight-point betting favorite. The Bulldogs topped No. 4 seed West Virginia 61-58 as three-point favorites Thursday to remain winless ATS at this year?s tournament, and 2-4-1 ATS in their past seven March Madness contests.
The Musketeers? Cinderella run continued with a stunning 73-71 win over No. 2 Arizona as 7 1/2-point underdogs to improve to 10-2 ATS in their past 12 tournament appearances, but they are winless SU in three against Gonzaga, 1-2 ATS.
On Sunday, the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels vie for their second SU win in six dates with No. 2 seed Kentucky when they face the Wildcats in South Region action as three-point favorites, while No. 7 seed South Carolina continues its improbable tournament run in an East Region clash with No. 4 seed Florida as 3 1/2-point favorites.
The Tar Heels dominated No. 4 Butler in a 92-80 win as seven-point favorites Friday, but are just 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS in their past five against the Wildcats, including a 76-69 loss as 1 1/2-point underdogs in the 2011 Elite Eight.
The Gamecocks outclassed No. 3 seed Baylor in Friday?s 70-50 win as three-point underdogs and split a pair of regular-season meetings with the Gators both SU and ATS.
Thumbnail photo via Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports Images
