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Samford vs. Kansas Prediction & March Madness Odds: Campbell to Take Advantage of Injuries?

Mike Spector

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 4:44 PM EDT • 3 min 42 sec read.

The Kansas Jayhawks limp into the opening-round of the NCAA Tournament as it hopes to avoid defeat against the underdog Samford Bulldogs, and we have you covered with our top Samford vs. Kansas prediction based on the best March Madness odds.

The 13th-seeded Samford Bulldogs, with a 29-5 record and a 15-3 mark in the Southern Conference, earned their first March Madness berth in 24 years by nabbing the league's automatic bid. Known for their high-octane offense, averaging 86.0 points per game (fifth-most in Division I), the Bulldogs employ a style referred to as "Bucky Ball," in tribute to head coach Bucky McMillan.

Although they stumbled towards the end of the regular season, losing four of their last five games, the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks (22-10) secured a top-four seed for their 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Notably, their dependence on the starting lineup for scoring is evident, as their bench only contributes 11.9 points per game, placing them 336th nationally.

As part of our March Madness predictions, here is our best Samford vs. Kansas prediction and college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Samford vs. Kansas odds

Samford (13) vs. Kansas (4) prediction: Midwest Region 

Jaden Campbell Over 10.5 points ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: ,

Samford’s Jaden Campbell is a 6-foot-5 wing player who ranks in the top 20 nationally among KenPom’s offensive rating metric. Kansas would typically have the natural foil for him in one of the best on-ball defenders in the country, Kevin McCullar. Still, McCullar has missed three of the last six games and sat out the Big 12 Tournament loss to Cincinnati with a knee injury.

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self has fellow injured star Hunter Dickinson practicing (albeit in non-contact drills), but also said, “Kevin, I haven’t seen do anything.” If McCullar is ruled inactive for this NCAA Tournament opener, we would make the Over on Campbell’s points a four-star play.

Campbell has scored double figures in back-to-back games and four of the previous six. He is a deadly 3-point shooter, making 27 of his previous 49 attempts (55.1%) over the last 12 games. And with Samford pushing the pace at a top-14 tempo all season, Campbell will have plenty of opportunity to fill up the stat sheet against the limited depth of the Jayhawks roster. 

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Samford vs. Kansas best odds

DraftKings, bet365 (-120)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
Campbell Over 10.5 pointsCampbell Over 10.5 pointsN/AN/ACampbell Over 10.5 points
-122N/AN/A

As of this writing, only three of our best sports betting sites offer player props for the Samford-Kansas matchup, and the difference between them is almost negligible. A $10 wager at the -120 odds that and offer would pay out $18.33, while the return would be $18.20 with ’s -122 odds.

Samford center Achor Achor’s player prop odds are likely to be a popular play given that he earned All-Southern Conference First Team honors, but we prefer the more under-the-radar play with Campbell’s props, especially since he is likely to get in on Samford’s 3-point barrage.

Samford vs. Kansas spread & Over/Under analysis

All of our best sports betting apps are in unison with Kansas as 7.5-point favorites. Any line movement has gone in Samford’s favor, as most sportsbooks opened with the Jayhawks as 8.5-point favorites. was the only shop ever to get to -9.5, but that number did not last long, as underdog backers came out in droves and the spread accordingly plummeted to -7. The betting splits support the line movement, as 70% of the early wagers are on Samford.

While our best sportsbooks were aligned on the point spread, they are anything but with respect to the total, as there is a 1.5-point gap between those on the low end at 152.5 () and the high end at 154 (). The Over is likely seeing some respected sharp action, as early betting splits are 82/18 in favor of the Under, but all sportsbooks have increased their totals from opening numbers of anywhere from 149.5 to 151.5.

Samford vs. Kansas game info

  • When: Thursday, March 21
  • Tip-off: 9:55 p.m. ET 
  • Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • How to watch: TBS

Samford-Kansas prediction made Monday at 7:36 p.m. ET.

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March Madness betting odds pages

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

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Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”