The Cal Baptist Lancers play the Kansas Jayhawks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament from San Diego, California. Tip-off is set for 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS.
Kansas is favored by -14.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1700. Meanwhile, Cal Baptist is the underdog at +14.5 with a moneyline of +810. The total is set at 137.5 points.
Here’s my Cal Baptist vs. Kansas prediction and college basketball picks for March 20, 2026.
Cal Baptist vs Kansas Prediction
My Pick: Cal Baptist +14.5
My Cal Baptist vs Kansas best bet is on the Lancers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Cal Baptist vs Kansas Odds
| Cal Baptist Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14.5 -115 | 137.5 -115o / -105u | +810 |
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14.5 -105 | 137.5 -115o / -105u | -1700 |
- Cal Baptist vs Kansas spread: Kansas -14.5 points
- Cal Baptist vs Kansas over/under: 137.5 points
- Cal Baptist vs Kansas moneyline: Cal Baptist +810, Kansas -1700
Cal Baptist vs Kansas College Basketball Betting Preview
Cal Baptist Basketball
Cal Baptist will be making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the Lancers are certainly one of the feel-good stories of March thus far.
Rick Croy's team enters March Madness with a 25-8 record, and a ton of confidence after knocking off Utah Tech and Utah Valley on back-to-back nights to win the WAC Tournament.
Friday will be a matchup against a Big 12 opponent in Kansas, and the Lancers actually faced three Big 12 schools in the regular season.
It wasn't pretty against BYU, but Cal Baptist was very competitive in road games against both Colorado and Utah.
Croy's team has also improved considerably since the non-conference portion of the season and is now inside the top 50 of KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency rankings.
The Lancers will certainly need to guard their tails off if they want any chance of upsetting the Jayhawks in a classic 4/13 game.
Star point guard Dominique Daniels Jr. will also need to be special, something he's done time and again on big stages.
Baptist does have a handful of bigs with good size, which is also key when going up against a Kansas frontcourt led by Flory Bidunga that will want to attack the glass.
The trio of Jonathan Griman, Bradey Henige and Thomas Ndong will all presumably spend some time banging in the paint with Bidunga.
Obviously, there's a significant talent gap in this matchup, so for the Lancers to emerge as a Cinderella, a hot shooting night — coupled with a clean game from a turnover perspective — will also be paramount.
Kansas Basketball
Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament a bit under the radar after a tough draw and the ongoing uncertainty around Darryn Peterson's availability.
Peterson looked a lot more comfortable in the Big 12 Tournament, and he was able to log consistent minutes in both games.
The Jayhawks defeated TCU in a back-and-forth game in the quarters before getting dominated by Houston in the semifinals.
Bill Self's team has been one of the hardest to handicap all season — at times flashing brilliance in home wins over Houston, Arizona and Iowa State, and then also having lackluster performances that led to losses to the likes of Cincinnati, Arizona State, West Virginia and UCF.
When Peterson, Melvin Council Jr. and Flory Bidunga are all on the court together, Self has three dynamic players who complement each other's games and give this offense plenty of versatility.
If Kansas is to make a deep run in this tournament, it's going to need someone outside of those three to consistently step up.
Tre White would be the most logical option, but he can be a little bit up-and-down.
In this matchup against the Lancers, Kansas should look to lean on its defense to create separation.
The Jayhawks are a top-10 outfit on that side of the floor, and Cal Baptist can have stretches where it really struggles to score the ball.
Kansas doesn't force many turnovers however, so the Lancers should be able to work the ball around and if they can be patient, they can get some decent looks.
If the Jayhawks play to their level for a full 40 minutes, this game likely won't be close. Consistency has been a challenge for this team all season, however, so it's hard not to expect some lulls against a scrappy Baptist team.
Cal Baptist vs Kansas Pick, Betting Analysis
Certain mid-majors enter the tournament every year with a really good vibe to them, and Cal Baptist is one of those teams.
Kansas has plenty of matchup advantages in this one, but with the defensive chops the Lancers bring to the table, I believe they find a way to hang around and stay within striking distance.
Daniels will not be afraid of the moment, and Croy's team will play their hearts out in this one.
I ultimately think Bidunga's presence in the paint will prove to be the difference in Kansas moving on, but give me the Lancers to hang inside this number and secure the cover.
My Pick: Cal Baptist +14.5
