North Dakota St. vs. Kansas Prediction
Unranked North Dakota State travels to Lawrence to face #5 Kansas at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night. Can the Jayhawks cover the 23.5-point spread as large home favorites?
North Dakota State went 23-10 last season. This year, they’re 0-1 with their lone loss coming against #10 Arkansas. The Bison are 1-0 against the spread this year.
Kansas went 34-6 last season en route to winning the national title. They’re 1-0 this year as they defeated Omaha 89-64 earlier this week. The Jayhawks are 0-1 ATS this season.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
609 North Dakota State Bison (+23.5) at 610 Kansas Jayhawks (-23.5); O/U 143
8:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, November 10, 2022
Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS
North Dakota State at Kansas Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public is favoring the Jayhawks in this game. Our public betting data shows that 75% of public bettors are on Kansas -23.5. Do note that those numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
North Dakota State Game Notes
Bison forward Grant Nelson and guard Boden Skunberg both scored 17 points in North Dakota State’s 76-58 loss at Arkansas on Monday. Nelson and Skunberg are the two returning leading scorers for North Dakota State, and they were the only Bison players to crack double figures in Monday’s contest.
Sophomore forward Andrew Morgan led North Dakota State in rebounding against Arkansas, collecting 7 boards in 24 minutes of play. The 6’10” Morgan also recorded 7 points, 2 steals, and a block in that game, and he’s currently tied for the team lead in the latter two categories. Morgan and the 6’11” Grant Nelson could bother other teams with their size and length when played together, effectively limiting easy shots at the rim.
Kansas Game Notes
Kansas head coach Bill Self is skilled at recruiting and developing guards. Whenever a great guard leaves Kansas, there’s seemingly always one or two who come in and produce. That seems to be the case this year as well. In Kansas’ opening game against Omaha, they had four guards score in double figures. The Jayhawks’ leading scorer was 6’8” freshman guard Gradey Dick. Dick poured in 23 points on 9-13 shooting and made 4 of 6 shots from beyond the arc. He has a chance to have a terrific season for Kansas this year.
Another guard to watch for Kansas is Kevin McCullar Jr. McCullar is a senior from San Antonio who played his first three years of college ball at Texas Tech before transferring to Kansas. He averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 29.9 minutes a game for the Red Raiders last season. McCullar started Monday’s game against Omaha and scored 10 points on 3-7 shooting. He might not be the Jayhawks’ most highly touted player, but he could play a larger-than-expected role in their game on Thursday.
North Dakota State at Kansas CBB Betting Trends
North Dakota State is 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 road games.
North Dakota State is 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games against a team with a straight-up winning record.
North Dakota State is 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Kansas is 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games following an outright win of more than 20 points.
North Dakota State at Kansas CBB Prediction:
It’s worth noting that Kansas head coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend will not be coaching this game for the Jayhawks. They have been suspended for the first four games of Kansas’ season. The suspensions are part of a self-imposed penalty that Kansas is issuing after the NCAA found that the Jayhawks had committed five Level I violations related to the school’s partnership with Adidas. Jayhawks assistant coach Norm Roberts will be coaching the team in Self and Townsend’s absence. That might not seem like a big deal, but against a team like North Dakota State who won 23 games last year, I think it’s enough of a factor to keep the game relatively close. I’ll take the Bison and the points.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON +23.5
