Roll With No. 1 Kansas for ATS Rout vs NC Central

· Nov 06 - 3 minutes read

The Kansas Jayhawks enter the 2023-24 college basketball season with no shortage of hype and intrigue while boasting a roster loaded with talent. The most important factors ahead of game No. 1 on the schedule is they’re also the No. 1 ranked team in the country and have the best odds to win the 2024 National Championship at +1000.

This places them narrowly ahead of the likes of Duke (+1100), Purdue (+1200), Michigan State and Kentucky (both +1400) and UConn (+1600), among others.

North Carolina Central vs. Kansas Betting: Prediction and Pick for Jayhawks’ 2023-24 Season Opener

The Jayhawks open at home against the North Carolina Central Eagles, who finished last season with an 18-12 record while finishing second in the MEAC with a 10-4 record. This could potentially be a learning curve for the Eagles, who lost all five starters from last year.

The two most experienced returning players averaged 5.6 points or less per game and played fewer than 15 minutes on average last season.

North Carolina Central vs Kansas Game Prediction

While NC Central is lacking in returning starters, the Jayhawks are returning just four players from last season themselves in KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, Kevin McCullar and Zach Clemence. Adams, Harris and McCullar are all starters and were among the five top scorers while averaging 27.3 minutes per game or more each.

Most importantly for Kansas, it has added some major talent to the mix. This includes a player ESPN dubbed as “perhaps the best player in [transfer] portal history,” former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson.

Along with Dickinson, the Jayhawks welcome incoming freshman guards Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell, along with forward Johnny Furphy.

While the Eagles will get a bit of a retooled Jayhawks team, heading to Allen Fieldhouse and attempting to pull off a stunner would be another level of epic result here. The Jayhawks have an incredible amount of incoming talent that should mesh well with returning players, and this one should be a tough opener for NC Central.

Predicted Score: Kansas Jayhawks 90, NC Central Eagles 54

Worth Targeting the Total?

The current projected total is 138½. If North Carolina Central does wind up scoring around 50 points or so, it makes clearing that mark a good bit tougher to do. If I were going to lean one way, it’d be toward the over but it would not be a targeted play.

College basketball Pick: Lean over 138½ points

North Carolina Central vs Kansas Betting Odds

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Worth Betting ATS?

The nation’s top team opens as a 30-point favorite on Monday night, which is probably close to a fair overall prediction. I think Kansas wins by somewhere between 35-40 here.