Grab Points With Evenly Matched Teams

Arkansas vs. Kansas, 6:10 ET

By the time this game is played the first day of the NCAA Tournament will be winding down. Will brackets have been busted? Will there be any buzzer beaters? Will the hopes and dreams of that perfect bracket be crushed for more than just a handful of people? I'm not sure, but I do know we still have a few hours of great basketball to look forward to. For this game, between Arkansas and Kansas, we have a bet we can, and should, make to hopefully line our pockets. 

Maybe I'm the only dork that thinks about this, but it drives me nuts that these two teams are spelled essentially the same but the end of it is pronounced different. R-can-saw vs. Can-sis. Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter, but sometimes I can't help but think about these things. I don't know if I am surprised about Arkansas being in the tournament or not. I suppose it makes sense, they had a good enough record at 20-13, and they even have some pretty good wins this year. They took down Michigan on a neutral court, Kentucky on the road (a revenge game for Coach Cal, and one we got correct), and beating Mississippi State. Three solid wins is good, but they've also lost a lot of games to talented opponents and went just 8-10 in the SEC. They won a game in the conference as well with a victory over South Carolina, and a competitive loss to Ole Miss. I do feel like Arkansas is falling under the radar a little bit this season, and they are capable of beating almost anyone. 

Feb 3, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Zeke Mayo (5) reacts during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Their opponent for this evening is Kansas. Coming into the season, the expectations were extremely high for Kansas. They really haven't lived up to the expectations this year. They enter today's game with a 21-12 record, and didn't have a spectacular showing in the Big 12 tournament. They ended up beating UCF in overtime in their first game, something that probably shouldn't have happened given the talent disparity. Against Arizona, the team was not able to find their footing and lost the game by 11. The team has struggled over the past 10 games and is just 5-5. The team does have Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo, who might be the two best players in this game. However, I don't find them consistent enough. To their credit, though they did beat Michigan State and Duke earlier in the season, two of the best teams in the country. They've beaten Iowa State and Arizona as well, but both of those were home games. 

This is a game that probably will come right down to the wire. There isn't a home court advantage for either of them as this game is in Rhode Island. Both teams have had moments of success and moments of inconsistent play this season. They both have good coaches, and some star player talent. When a game is that close, the best thing to do is to take the points. Back Arkansas with the points in this one. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win this outright. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024