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The Miami Hurricanes are set to face the Kansas Jayhawks. Check out our March Madness odds series, which includes our Miami Kansas prediction, odds, and pick.
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The coach of the Miami Hurricanes has been here before, even though the Canes themselves have not. Jim Larranaga has coached in an Elite 8 game, and more precisely, he has coached a double-digit seed against a No. 1 seed in an Elite 8 game. He led 11th-seeded George Mason against top-seeded UConn in the 2006 Elite 8. Larranaga and George Mason made history by beating the Huskies and ushering in a new era of college basketball. The thunderbolt created by Larranaga 16 years ago gave fresh hope to the mid-majors in the NCAA Tournament. It really was a game which changed the March Madness odds.
Soon after George Mason's win over UConn, Butler made back-to-back national championship games. Butler played VCU in a Final Four semifinal. Wichita State made the 2013 Final Four and came very close to playing for the national title. Loyola-Chicago made the 2018 Final Four. Saint Peter's, a No. 15 seed, will play for the Final Four on Sunday afternoon against North Carolina. Jim Larranaga's Elite 8 upset of a top seed started it all, and now, we get another look at “Coach L” in pursuit of a big W against a No. 1 seed. It is something to consider when making a Miami Kansas prediction.
The Kansas Jayhawks were not a dominant team in the regular season, but they consistently won tight games. This is what they have done in the NCAA Tournament, beating Creighton and Providence in dramatic endgame battles. Kansas has been pushed and tested, but it has held firm, and now it will try to do so one more time to get coach Bill Self to a fourth Final Four at KU.
The big improvement Kansas has benefited from in March is the development of Remy Martin, the transfer from Arizona State who struggled in the regular season but is coming alive at tournament time. Martin is one of the few Jayhawks who can create his own shot. He has given Self and the Jayhawks a significant boost. When he plays well, this team's ceiling is much higher. Miami has excellent guardplay, so in order for Kansas to win this game, one more strong performance from Martin will be needed. It is part of the calculus when making a Miami Kansas pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Miami-Kansas odds:
March Madness Odds: Miami-Kansas Odds
Miami: +5.5 (-110)
Kansas: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 145 (-110)
Under: 145 (-110)
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Why Miami Could Cover the Spread
The Hurricanes' guards have controlled tempo and have been hard for opponents to counter. Interestingly, Miami guard Charlie Moore previously played at Kansas, so he knows how Bill Self is likely to defend him. That could be very important for the Hurricanes. Kansas has not dominated opponents in March, so Miami can at least keep this game close.
Why Kansas Could Cover the Spread
The Jayhawks have more size and power than the guard-oriented Hurricanes. If David McCormack can dominate Sam Waardenburg in his big-man matchup, Kansas could run away with this game.
Final Miami-Kansas Prediction & Pick
Kansas has been winning close games all season, but that means the Jayhawks have been playing close games all season. Kansas might win, but Miami is very, very likely to keep this game close. KU won by five on Friday over Providence. No one would be surrprised if Kansas won by five points again, and that would mean Miami covers.
Final Miami-Kansas Pick: Miami +5.5
