2008 Kansas NCAA Basketball Tournament Odds

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At 22-1, the Kansas Jayhawks boast one of the best records in the country and are clearly the class of the Big 12 Conference, but should they be mentioned in the same breath as the other elite teams with a shot at raising a national championship banner to their rafters. Find out what Jimmy Boyd thinks in this 2008 Kansas Jayhawks odds to win the NCAA tournament article.

Kansas is 7-1 in the Big 12 with rival Kansas State sitting all alone in second place at 5-1. The Wildcats are responsible for giving the Jays their only loss of the season. That loss came on the road as no team has come close to beating the Jayhawks at home where they are 15-0 this season. Sports bettors have done quite well when taking the Jays at home as they are 10-3 ATS in Lawrence. Kansas is 14-7 ATS in all lined games this season which is the best against the spread record of any Big 12 team.

With games at Texas and Texas A&M remaining, the Jayhawks still have some work to do in conference play. They also take on Kansas State once more, but we expect Kansas to get revenge on its home floor. When the smoke settles, Kansas should capture another Big 12 Championship.

Kansas went 33-5 last season and reached the Elite Eight so there success comes as no surprise. They return every member of that Elite Eight team with the exception of Julian Wright and his 12.0 ppg. Kansas has one of the most balanced offensive attacks of any team in the country. First off, they are one of the highest scoring teams in the nation at 82.8 ppg (10th). Their leading scorer is Darrell Arthur at 13.3 ppg, but any of the starting five is capable of going off for a big night. I tend to look at Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers as KU’s best big game performers. Another thing Kansas is able to do is get high percentage shots, often layups on the break, and that’s why they are the number two ranked field goal percentage team in the country.

Defensively, Kansas gets the job done as well. It rebounds well, holds teams to just 60.2 ppg, and forces them to shoot under 40% from the floor. With talented bench players like Sherron Collins and Sasha Kaun, the Jays don’t lose anything when they need to rest players.

While KU is among the best teams in the country, it could be lacking that one go-to guy that can take over a game and deliver when nothing else seems to be going right. We saw that type of a player beat them at Kansas State. I’m of course referring to freshman sensation Michael Beasely. Kansas is capable of the Elite Eight once again, but that’s as far as I see them going as now, unless they get a favorable bracket. This team is better than anyone when in Lawrence. But on the road, it is susceptible.

Odds to win the NCAA Tournament: 7/2

Take a look at our betting articles on other NCAA basketball teams:

• Maryland Terrapins

• Drake Bulldogs

• Duke Blue Devils

• UCLA Bruins

• North Carolina Tar Heels

• Memphis Tigers

• Michigan State Spartans

• Tennessee Vols

• Butler Bulldogs

• Stanford Cardinal

February 5th, 2007