The Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Kansas is favored by 5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -220. The total is set at 146.5 points.
Here’s my Arkansas vs. Kansas predictions and college basketball picks for March 20, 2025.
Arkansas vs Kansas Prediction
My Pick: Arkansas +4 or Better
My Arkansas vs Kansas best bet is on the Razorbacks spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Arkansas vs Kansas Odds, Lines
| Arkansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | +180 |
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | -220 |
- Arkansas vs Kansas spread: Kansas -5
- Arkansas vs Kansas over/under: 146.5 points
- Arkansas vs Kansas moneyline: Kansas -220, Arkansas +180
- Arkansas vs Kansas best bet: Arkansas +4 or Better
My Arkansas vs Kansas NCAAB Betting Preview
There’s no doubt the selection committee knew what they were doing when it placed two legendary national title-winning coaches — John Calipari and Bill Self — whose teams failed to meet expectations this year in the 7/10 game.
If you told me before the bracket dropped to pick a team similar to Kansas, I would've said Arkansas. Both teams are offensively challenged, especially from the perimeter.
On the injury front, Arkansas received mixed news. On the bad side, Adou Thiero (15.6 PPG, 6,0 RPG) remains out. On the good side, freshman Boogie Fland is back after missing the last 15 games with a hand injury.
How much will Fland play? Who knows. But I know Fland is a shot-creating weapon that Arkansas doesn’t otherwise have.
If you want an example of how even Arkansas and Kansas are, the Jayhawks are No. 30 in Bart Torvik's rankings since Feb. 1, and the Razorbacks are No. 31.
Kansas is one spot better in offensive efficiency (58 vs. 59) and three spots better defensively (19 vs. 22). You won’t find a more even matchup from a strengths and weaknesses perspective than this one.
I see a few advantages favoring the Razorbacks — one is they have a true offensive identity. It doesn’t always work, but Arkansas ranks 13th in free-throw rate since Feb. 1, compared to Kansas at 316th.
D.J. Wagner can at least strike fear into opponents with his driving. He’s not a good shooter, but nobody is scared of his opponent, DaJuan Harris, scoring the ball. The lack of a scoring point guard and a true shot-creating option is a major hindrance in Kansas’ NCAA Tournament future.
Arkansas also has the proper personnel to contain Kansas’ star Hunter Dickinson down low. The 7-foot southpaw is the Jayhawks' only consistent scorer, posting over 16 PPG.
If Arkansas can use its size and athleticism with Jonas Aidoo, Zvonimir Ivisic and Trevon Brazile, that would be a huge plus. Forcing others to beat you and making Dickinson a passer is the way to hold Kansas down.
Brazile is someone I’m identifying as the X-factor. In his last four games, the former projected NBA Draft pick has averaged 14 PPG and 10 RPG. Arkansas went 3-1 during that four-game stretch.
I’ve always been a big fan of Brazile’s length, shot-blocking and shooting ability, which could be a huge plus for Arkansas.
Is Kansas playing better? Sort of. However, the last thing we saw from the Jayhawks was an 11-point loss to Arizona and an overtime win over UCF.
It’s hard to draw any consistent positives from the Jayhawks, and it’s impossible to justify laying 5.5 points given how similar the teams are.
Neither team has lived up to expectations, but I like the matchup advantages Arkansas has more.
