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One of the best men's college basketball games of the season will take place tonight between two Top 5 teams. The reigning NCAA Champs will battle it out with the Kansas Jayhawks. It's time to continue our college basketball odds series with a UConn-Kansas prediction and pick.
The No. 4 UConn Huskies are (7-0) on the season. They are coming off a 20-point win against New Hampshire that saw Donovan Clingan score 29 points on 12-13 shooting. UConn is dominating every opponent they face so far this year. Their lowest win difference was 10 points against No. 15 Texas as they have a 28.1 per game point difference on the season.
As for No. 5 Kansas, their start to the season was very different than UConn playing in the Maui Invitational against No. 17 Kentucky, No. 4 Marquette, and No. 7 Tennessee. Their only loss of the campaign came against Marquette as they now sit at (6-1). The Jayhawks have been tested early in the season and they will once again be tested tonight facing a team that has blown out every opponent to this point. Kansas is coming off an 8-point win over Eastern Illinois in a game where they struggled in the second half.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: UConn-Kansas Odds
UConn: +3.5 (-112)
Kansas: -3.5 (-108)
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
How to Watch UConn vs. Kansas
Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Article Continues Below
Why UConn Will Cover The Spread
The matchup of Donovan Clingan and Hunter Dickenson will be exciting to watch. The 7-foot-2 center from Bristol is shooting a massive 67.7% from the floor this season. He will be the toughest defender Dickenson faces all season as the Kansas center is in the running for the Wooden Award behind Zach Edey. Clingan is currently tied for fourth in the latest odds.
Despite being the focal point for UConn tonight, Clingan isn't the highest scorer for the Huskies offense. Cam Spencer leads the team at 16.3 points per game shooting over 50% from the floor. Tristen Newton is second at 15.6 per game while also grabbing 8.1 rebounds and dishing out 6.9 assists. Newton is 7th in the NCAA in assists per game thanks to his 13-assist outing against Manhattan on 11/24.
Stephon Castle has missed the last five games with an injury and it doesn't seem like he will play against Kansas according to Dan Hurley. He is averaging 14.5 points per game in two games this season.
Why Kansas Will Cover The Spread
On the other side of tonight's big matchup is one of the best players in the nation. The Michigan transfer is 16th in scoring and 1st in rebounds per game in seven games this season. He's averaging 21.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and is shooting 67% from the floor. He's got two 20-rebound games already on the year and his latest came against Tennessee where he finished with 17 points and 20 boards.
Kevin McCullar Jr. is averaging 18.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. The 6-foot-7 senior is one of the top guards in the nation and scored at least 22 points in three games already. In the win against Chaminade earlier this year, he finished with a triple-double; 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Dickenson and McCullar Jr. provide a majority of the offense but if they want to cover this spread against a good UConn offense they will need others to contribute in a major way.
Final UConn-Kansas Prediction & Pick
I expect UConn to keep this game close with a handful of offensive threats on the floor. Kansas is coming off a close game against Eastern Illinois and the Huskies are a far better team. The season is still young and this will be without a doubt UConn's toughest opponent until they meet Marquette later in the season. I like them to cover this spread in what should be a classic this Friday night.
Final UConn-Kansas Prediction & Pick: UConn +3.5 (-112)
