The 2025 NCAA Tournament is officially underway! Thursday brings along a full day of college basketball with Round of 64 games tipping off across the country. Let’s take a deep dive into one of those first-round matchups with Arkansas vs. Kansas predictions for their March Madness showdown. 

No. 7 seed Kansas will take on No. 10 seed Arkansas in the West region of the NCAA Tournament bracket. It’s time to break down the top stats, players, storylines, and betting odds to know before the game gets underway on Thursday night. Check out our Arkansas vs. Kansas predictions below.

 

 

 

Arkansas vs. Kansas Predictions for March Madness Round of 64, 3/20

Thursday night’s March Madness Round of 64 matchup between Arkansas and Kansas should be an entertaining first-round game. Hall of Fame coaches Bill Self and John Calipari will be going head-to-head. The Jayhawks and Razorbacks underperformed this season relative to preseason expectations but they’re both plenty talented and capable of beating the best. 

Let’s now get into the top Arkansas vs. Kansas predictions for tonight’s NCAA Tournament first-round showdown. 

 

 

 

Arkansas Razorbacks: Coach Cal’s Team Trending In Right Direction

Just a year ago, No. 14 seed Oakland sent John Calipari and Kentucky packing with a first-round upset in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Cal is back in the Big Dance in his first year with Arkansas. This season hasn’t exactly gone as planned, though. 

The Razorbacks started out 11-2 in non-conference play before losing their first five SEC games. They’ve been up and down since, finishing the year with a 19-12 record overall and an 8-10 mark in conference action. Mostly, though, Cal has his team trending up over the past month. 

Arkansas won four of its last five games to end the regular season before going 1-1 in the SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks have also been playing without Adou Thiero and Boogie Fland in the lineup lately. It’s been addition by subtraction with Johnell Davis, Trevon Brazile, and Jonas Aidoo taking full advantage of their bigger roles. 

 

 

 

Kansas Jayhawks: Which Kansas Team Will Show Up? 

The Jayhawks began this season ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Poll. They backed that up with victories over Duke and Michigan State in November. Then things went a bit downhill for Bill Self’s squad. 

Kansas uncharacteristically went 11-9 in Big 12 play and finished the regular season at 20-11 overall. It then lost to Arizona in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. The Jayhawks’ 21 wins right now are tied for their lowest in a single season since Self got to Lawrence in 2003. The same goes for their No. 7 seed.

It’s unfamiliar territory for a program that won a national title just three years ago. Despite underperforming, tough, KU can still hang with top-tier teams. The Jayhawks beat Iowa State and Arizona in February – in addition to the aforementioned wins over Duke and Michigan State. 

On the flip side, Kansas also lost to Iowa State and Arizona. Plus, it suffered losses to Houston (twice), Texas Tech, BYU, and Baylor in conference play. The ceiling is there for the Jayhawks to beat any team in the country, but they haven’t consistently shown it – especially recently. 

 

 

 

How To Watch Round of 64 March Madness 2025

Thursday’s Round of 64 March Madness game between Arkansas and Kansas is scheduled to tip off at 7:10 pm ET. You can watch it on CBS or stream it on the March Madness Live app. 

The Arkansas vs. Kansas matchup is just one of 16 games on Thursday, though. Other NCAA Tournament first-round games will be airing on TBS, TNT, and truTV in addition to CBS. Plus, you can watch them all on the March Madness Live app. Let’s now dive into Arkansas vs. Kansas picks, odds, and predictions. 

 

 

 

Arkansas vs. Kansas Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines 

Before we get to our Arkansas vs. Kansas predictions, check out the betting lines on FanDuel Sportsbook. As of this writing, here are the Arkansas vs. Kansas odds: 

  • Arkansas Razorbacks (+172) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (-210)
    • Spread: Arkansas +4.5 (-105) vs. Kansas -4.5 (-115)
    • Game Total: Over 145.5 (-108) vs. Under 145.5 (-112)

 

 

 

Arkansas vs. Kansas Spread Pick: Razorbacks +4.5 (-105 on FanDuel)

Kansas is the rightful favorite over Arkansas in this first-round matchup. However, the Razorbacks are better than their No. 10 seed would indicate and are live underdogs here. We’re taking Arkansas +4.5 (-110 at FanDuel) for our Arkansas vs. Kansas predictions. Let’s break it down.

Kansas has a top-tier defense, ranking 11th nationally in defensive efficiency. Yet, Arkansas also boasts a strong defense that’s 18th in efficiency. When the Jayhawks have faced other good defensive teams lately, they’ve struggled. It’s been their one advantage over lower-tier opponents but matters less in these matchups.

The Arkansas defense, meanwhile, can slow down a Kansas attack that plays heavily through Hunter Dickinson. The Jayhawks’ center is a stud around the rim, but the Razorbacks have size to keep him in check. They’ll rotate in Trevon Brazile (6-foot-10), Jonas Aidoo (6-foot-11), and Zvonimir Ivisic (7-foot-2) to frustrate Dickinson. Plus, Arkansas ranks eighth in Division I in blocking shots. 

Meanwhile, Johnell Davis’ recent emergence as Arkansas’ scoring alpha has increased its upside offensively. Brazile and Aidoo have been dominating the paint on both ends lately too. The Razorbacks will also get an offensive jolt from the expected return of Boogie Fland. The projected NBA lottery pick can add a scoring punch off the bench. 

Finally, backing Coach Cal as an underdog is a profitable strategy. He’s 6-3-1 against the spread (ATS) as an underdog in the NCAA Tournament over his career. That includes 4-0-1 ATS as a Tournament dog with Kentucky. As for Arkansas, it’s 6-2 ATS in its last eight games as an underdog this year. 

On the flip side, Bill Self and Kansas are just 7-12 ATS over the last six NCAA Tournament appearances. That includes an 0-2 ATS mark last year when the Jayhawks barely avoided an upset by No. 13 seed Samford before losing by 21 points to Gonzaga. 

 

 

 

Arkansas vs. Kansas Injury Report & Starting Lineup

Arkansas Razorbacks Injury Report

  • Adou Thiero (F) – Out
  • Boogie Fland (G) – Probable

Arkansas Razorbacks Expected Starters 

  • Johnell Davis (G) – 11.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG
  • D.J. Wagner (G) – 11.1 PPG, 3.5 APG
  • Zvonimir Ivisic (F) – 9.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG
  • Karter Knox (F) – 7.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG
  • Trevon Brazile (F) – 6.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG

Kansas Jayhawks Injury Report

  • Shakeel Moore (G) – Questionable 
  • Zach Clemence (F) – Out

Kansas Jayhawks Expected Starters 

  • Hunter Dickinson (F) – 17.6 PPG, 10.0 RPG
  • Zeke Mayo (G) – 14.5 PPG, 3.0 APG
  • KJ Adams (F) – 9.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG
  • Dajuan Harris (G) – 9.2 PPG, 5.7 APG
  • Rylan Griffen (G) – 6.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG

 

 

 

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