Clemson Tigers vs. Kansas Jayhawks Odds, Analysis, March Madness Betting Pick

Kansas held a home-crowd advantage playing last weekend in Wichita and will again when it meets Clemson in a Sweet 16 matchup Friday night in Omaha. Is that advantage baked into the point spread on this contest? Or should KU be favored by even more?

March Madness point spread: The Jayhawks opened as four-point favorites; the total is at 143, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

March Madness betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 73.4-71.7, Tigers (March Madness picks on every game)

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Why Clemson can cover the spread

The Tigers reached their first Sweet 16 since 1997 by knocking off New Mexico State in the first round 79-68, then scalding Auburn in the second round 84-53. Clemson covered a four-point spread against the Aggies, then won convincingly outright as two-point dogs against those other Tigers.

Clemson broke loose 10 minutes into the game against Auburn for a 25-4 run and a 43-19 halftime lead. The Tigers later pushed their advantage to 41 points. On the night, Clemson shot 48 percent from the floor, while harassing Auburn to just 26 percent shooting.

Two days prior, the Tigers shot a hot 56 percent from the field while holding New Mexico State to just 39 percent. So Clemson has held each of its last nine opponents under 50 percent shooting. The Tigers are also now 9-8 SU and 10-6 ATS this season against teams that made the NCAA tournament.

Why Kansas can cover the spread

The Jayhawks reached the Sweet 16 for the third straight season by fending off Pennsylvania in the first round 76-60, then holding off Seton Hall in the second round 83-79.

Kansas led the Pirates by five at halftime, pushed that to 13 midway through the second half and held on from there, securing the victory by making 12 in a row from the line down the stretch. Unfortunately for those who bet the Jayhawks at -4.5, the cover disappeared when Seton Hall hit a meaningless three-pointer with two seconds left.

On the night, Kansas shot 50 percent from the field and made nine of 21 from three-point land.

Two days prior, the Jayhawks shot seven for 17 from long range against the Quakers and covered a 13-point spread. Kansas is now 20-3 SU and 14-8-1 ATS against teams that made the Big Dance this season.

Finally, Jayhawks center Udoka Azubuike missed action earlier this month with a sore knee, but he played 22 minutes against Seton Hall and appears good to go.

Smart betting pick

Clemson is coming off a total blowout of what was supposedly a pretty good Auburn outfit, but performances like that often lead to letdowns the next time out. However, a few things help avoid letdowns, among them good defense and good free-throw shooting. The Tigers may not win this game outright, but they are the smart bet here.

March Madness betting trends

Kansas is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games as a favorite of four points or less.

Clemson is 0-4 SU and ATS in its last four games against the Big 12.

The total has gone over in three of Clemson's last four games.

All college basketball odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.