The Brown Bears take on the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, KS. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Kansas is favored by 23.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -10000. The total is set at 144.5 points.
Here are my Brown vs. Kansas predictions and college basketball picks for December 22, 2024.
Brown vs Kansas Prediction
My Pick: Brown 1H +10 or Better
My Brown vs Kansas best bet is on the Bears first-half spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Brown vs Kansas Odds
| Brown Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+23.5 -102 | 144.5 -110 / -110 | +2500 |
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-23.5 -120 | 144.5 -110 / -110 | -10000 |
- Brown vs Kansas spread: Kansas -23.5
- Brown vs Kansas over/under: 144.5 points
- Brown vs Kansas moneyline: Kansas -10000, Brown +2500
- Brown vs Kansas best bet: Brown 1H +10 or Better
Spread
I'm taking the Bears on the first-half spread.
Moneyline
I'm avoiding the moneyline.
Over/Under
I have a lean on the under.
My Pick: Brown 1H +10 or Better
Brown vs Kansas College Basketball Betting Preview
Brown Basketball
The best time to play spoiler to top-ranked squads on the road is the week before Christmas.
The motivation factor isn't there, and I can't imagine Kansas is overly locked in to play Brown as the final palette cleanser ahead of Big 12 play.
Mike Martin managed to avoid high-majors in the scheduling process. Brown has yet to face a single high-major squad to date, so it will be interesting to see how the Bears' size fares against a bigger, more athletic squad.
I am fairly terrified of the Bears wavering in the second half, since injuries sliced their rotation to seven players. Plus, it wouldn't surprise me if the Jayhawks had a sleepy start, like it did against UNC Wilmington.
I have enough faith in Brown's shooting to keep the game tight for a half, though. The best shooter on Brown's roster is star guard Kino Lilly Jr., who boasts over 20 points per game on 44% from 3. He is one of the best shooters in college hoops and the heartbeat of this Bears team.
Lilly can't do it alone, though. He will need the other two double-digit scorers on Brown's roster — Aaron Cooley and Landon Lewis — to help.
Lewis might have his impact minimized because Hunter Dickinson is about seven inches taller. If Lewis could hit perimeter jumpers, he could expose Dickinson, but Lewis isn't a shooter.
Coach Martin has had better defensive teams during his time at Brown. However, this year's team ranks closely on both ends.
The Bears' offense ranks 167th in offensive efficiency compared to 192nd in defensive efficiency. They have done a good job of limiting teams from hitting shots, as opponents shoot just 45% on 2s and have a 46% effective field goal percentage.
Kansas Basketball
Kansas has plenty of talent, but Bill Self is still shifting things around hoping to find the ideal lineup combo. That's life in the portal when you add a bunch of transfers to compliment three returning senior starters.
I don't have a ton of faith in the Jayhawks' offense, which ranks 24th in KenPom's offensive efficiency.
I'd imagine Brown traps the 7-foot Dickinson, leading to looks from Kansas' shooters.
But that's where my concerns rests for this Kansas offensive unit. Where are the shooters?
Dickinson is an exceptional ball-mover from the post, so he will find open teammates. But who besides Mayo (35% from 3) is hitting them?
Starting point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. is shooting 30%, but teams will still dare him to shoot. That means Rylan Griffen or AJ Storr need to figure things out. The two were paid handsomely to help Kansas be more lethal from the perimeter and both are below 35% from 3.
I feel comfortable tabbing Kansas as a defensive-minded squad. The Jayhawks rank eighth in defensive efficiency while limiting teams to 46% shooting from 2 and 31% from 3.
Brown attempts 3s on 42% of its field goal attempts, and Kansas' opponents attempt 3s 40% of the time. Kansas needs to shore up its perimeter defense — even though it hasn't been a major issue to this point — and that could be a problem if Brown gets hot.
Kansas could use another showing like it had against Furman, which endured its lone loss of the year to the Jayhawks. Furman, which is one of the highest-volume shooting teams in America, went 9-of-38 from 3, and its star guard — PJay Smith Jr. — struggled.
Brown vs. Kansas Betting Analysis
I'm really playing up the motivation factor.
The students are home for break and the players probably want to get back home and enjoy the holiday festivities, so I could see Brown sending a shock to the Jayhawks' system by getting hot early.
The Jayhawks will then impose their will in the second half to put the Bears away handily.
Back the Bears on the first-half spread.
