Where have you gone, Mike Anderson?
St. John’s (-3.5) over Kansas
This line surprises no one who has watched these two teams over the past month.
Effort and cohesion must be favored over unrealized potential.
While the Red Storm have won 20 of their past 21 games — led by Zuby Ejiofor, who averaged 5.2 minutes in his lone season in Lawrence — the Jayhawks lost five of their past 10 games by double digits before their narrow escape against Cal Baptist in the first round. Darryn Peterson’s teammates still look unsure how to play alongside the Kansas star.
The team actually has a better record without him, and the potential No. 1 pick could submarine Kansas’ season if he tries to play hero ball against Rick Pitino’s smothering defense.
Peterson is shooting under 38 percent from the field in his past eight games. The Johnnies have covered nearly 65 percent of their games this season as a favorite (18-10-1).
Iowa (+10.5) over Florida
The Hawkeyes have gone 1-7 against top four seeds in this tournament, but five of those losses came by single digits, including a three-point loss to No. 1 Michigan earlier this month.
The Gators have the advantage over almost any frontline in the nation, but the Hawkeyes have held their own on the glass in battles with some of the top rebounding teams in the nation, and may have the best player on the court in soon-to-be-first-round pick Bennett Stirtz, a senior guard whose uncanny decision-making maximizes Iowa’s slow-paced attack.
The Gators will advance, but the Hawkeyes should hang around, happily trading 3s for 2s.
Arizona (-11.5) over Utah State
The Aggies don’t have the horses, and have such little margin for error, bringing just two double-digit scorers to face one of the nation’s top defenses.
Arizona’s (33-2) talent and depth are unmatched — Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley scored just seven points in the first-round blowout of LIU — resulting in the third-best scoring margin (17.8) in the nation.
Betting on College Basketball?
Utah State’s season-long struggle against up-tempo teams — including a total of three double-digit losses against the likes of South Florida and UNLV — spells trouble against an offense that ranks in the top 10 in fast-break points.
Alabama (+1.5) over Texas Tech
The Tide should never be an underdog in a 3-point contest. Though Alabama — which has reached the second week of the tournament in four of Nate Oats’ first five years — is still adjusting to the absence of Aden Holloway, Texas Tech’s loss of All-American JT Toppin matters far more, contributing to the team’s 1-3 record in its past four games.
Without Toppin, the Tide not only have the best player on the floor in Labaron Philon Jr. — who had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against Hofstra — but also the edge on the interior.
This season: 7-11
2011-25 record: 403-371-12
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Howie Kussoy has long been the New York Post’s main handicapper in college basketball (since 2011) and college football (since 2013).
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
