After a first round win, Arkansas now advances to the Round of 32 where the Razorbacks will face the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks. This is the first matchup between the two since 2005, with Kansas owning the all-time series advantage, 8-5.
Led by head coach Eric Musselman, Arkansas picked up a big first round win Thursday afternoon, defeating No. 9 seed Illinois by a final score of 73-63. The Razorbacks, who are a No. 8 seed in the West Region, now sit at 21-13 overall this season, and have advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.
The Razorbacks are currently averaging 74.4 PPG offensively this season, while also allowing 67.3 PPG to opponents. Arkansas is also the nation’s No. 8 team with 5.2 SPG, and have a deep roster headlined by names such as Ricky Council IV, Nick Smith Jr., Anthony Black, and Davonte Davis among others.
Kansas, led by head coach Bill Self, is the regular season Big 12 champion, and are coming off a dominant 96-68 first round win over No. 16 seed Howard. The Jayhawks, who are a No. 1 seed, now sit at 28-7 overall this season, and have advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 16th consecutive time.
Also among the nation’s leaders in assists and steals per game, the Jayhawks currently average a combined 75.5 PPG offensively, while also allowing 67.9 PPG to opponents. Kansas is led by First Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year Jalen Wilson at 20.1 PPG and 8.4 RPG, and have four other prominent scorers who are each names to know in Gradey Dick, Kevin McCullar, KJ Adams, and Dajuan Harris.
Arkansas vs Kansas Line, Spread, Over/Under
According to FanDuel, Kansas is a 3.5-point favorite over Arkansas as of Friday afternoon, with the over/under at 143.5. Kansas is -166, while Arkansas is +138.
Arkansas vs Kansas 2023 NCAA Tournament Prediction
Across the last two years, Arkansas has certainly shown that they are capable of winning the big March Madness’ matchups such as this, with this showdown no different. Because of this, an Arkansas win would not surprise me, but I’ll say that Kansas eventually comes away with the win, even though the Razorbacks should keep things close. Prediction: Arkansas 74, Kansas 79
What Channel is the Arkansas vs Kansas Game On?
A second round West Region matchup at the 2023 NCAA Tournament, No. 8 seed Arkansas will face No. 1 seed Kansas on Saturday, March 18 at 5:15 PM ET on CBS. The Razorbacks and Jayhawks will play from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA.
Arkansas vs Kansas Live Stream
The 2023 NCAA Tournament second round matchup between Arkansas and Kansas can be found via live stream on fuboTV here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change