No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 10 Miami preview, picks for Elite Eight of 2022 NCAA Tournament

A trip to the New Orleans for the Final Four will be on the line this evening as the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks will face the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in the Elite Eight. The Midwest Region final will take place at the United Center in Chicago.

This game will tip off at 2:20 p.m. ET on CBS. North Carolina enters this matchup as a six-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.

No. 1 Kansas 31-6 (14-4 Big 12)

First Round: Defeated No. 16 Texas Southern 83-56
Second Round: Defeated No. 9 Creighton 79-72
Sweet 16: Defeated No. 4 Providence 66-61
KenPom rating: 5 Overall, 6 Offense, 22 Defense
Leading scorer: Ochai Agbaji (19.3 ppg)
Key stat of tournament: This is the eighth Elite Eight appearance for Kansas under Bill Self.

The Jayhawks have made it look relatively easy so far, with their wins over Creighton and Providence looking more comfortable during the game than in the final score. The re-emergence of Arizona State transfer Remy Martin has been huge, as he’s averaged 19.3 points and 3.7 assists per game in the tournament.

With Martin in the backcourt, along with David McCormack and the double-double machine in Agbaji on the post, this is probably the most complete team left in the tournament.

No. 10 Miami 26-10 (14-6 ACC)

First Round: Defeated No. 7 USC 68-66
Second Round: Defeated No. 2 Auburn 79-61
Sweet 16: Defeated No. 11 Iowa State 70-56
KenPom rating: 35 Overall, 18 Offense, 114 Defense
Leading scorer: Kameron McGusty (17.5 ppg)
Key stat of tournament: Miami has trailed a total of 16 seconds in its previous two ballgames.

Miami lost to Central Florida by six at home, and Dayton by 16 three days later. Now they’re the hottest team in college basketball, and have reached the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

Kameron McGusty has been one of the best players in the tournament, and the Canes just don’t turn the ball over: They give it away on just 13.8% of possessions, the sixth-best rate in the nation.

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

Point spread: Kansas -6
Point total: 146.5
Moneyline: Kansas -265, Miami +215

The Pick

Against The Spread Pick: Miami +6
Point total pick: Over 146.5
Pick to Win: Kansas

This should be a terrific basketball game with two dynamic offenses, but the defense of the Jayhawks should carry the day. The rebounding will tell the story, and that’s just a spot where KU has a bit of an edge with Agabai and McCormack.

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