Kansas vs. Samford Basketball predictions, odds & picks - Mar. 21 | March Madness 

The first round of the 2024 March Madness kicks off on Thursday.

In the opening round, the No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks will take on the No. 13 seed Samford at 9:55 p.m. ET.

Kansas enters the tournament with a 22-10 record, while Samford is 29-5.

Kansas vs. Samford: Prediction

Many believe the Kansas Jayhawks are poised to be upset in the first round.

Heading into the tournament, Kansas has been dealt a tough blow, as star player Kevin McCullar Jr. will not be playing.

"Kevin’s not gonna play," head coach Bill Self said, via FoxNews. "Kevin says his knee pain has not subsided any, and it’s too bad for him to be able to contribute."

"So Kevin will not play... We're shutting him down for the tournament. If we’re fortunate enough to win two games we’ll have done it without him. He hasn’t practiced in six weeks, basically."

Not having McCullar Jr. will hinder Kansas' offense. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are playing good basketball, which could trouble Kansas.

“I feel like we play a unique style of basketball, and the college world’s not used to it,” forward Jermaine Marshall said, via AP. “I feel like we will catch a lot of people by surprise. They’re probably just gonna look and say, ‘Oh, Samford, I’ve never heard of them.’ I feel like that’s how we’re going to get them."

“Once we mess their bracket up early, I feel like that’s how we’re going to get a lot of people’s attention. They’re just going to fall in love with the style of basketball that we play."

Although Samford is playing well enough to cover the spread here, the Jayhawks should win.

Prediction: Kansas wins

Kansas vs. Samford: Odds

Spread

Kansas -7.5 (-108)

Samford +7.5 (-112)

Moneyline

Kansas -290

Samford +235

Total

Over 154 (-110)

Under 154 (-110)

Kansas vs. Samford: Betting tips

Tip 1: Samford +7.5 (-112)

Tip 2: Over 154 (-110)

Tip 3: Jermaine Marshall over 10.5 (-120)

Tip 4: Jaden Campbell over 1.5 threes (-105)