NCAAB Odds, Pick for Yale vs Kansas

Below, we have NCAAB odds and a pick for Yale vs Kansas.

Non-conference play for the best teams in the country is usually a mix of buy games against cupcake opponents and challenges against other power conference giants. It's rare to see a blue blood welcome in a mid-major program with eyes on a conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth.

This game matches up two programs bucking that trend.

In the last few years, Kansas has welcomed solid mid-majors like Nevada, George Mason, Stephen F. Austin, North Dakota State and East Tennessee State to Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

Meanwhile, Yale's recent schedules feel like a way for the coaching staff to check off some bucket list college basketball venues. Since the fall of 2018, the Bulldogs have played true road games at Gonzaga, Butler, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke and now Kansas, plus roadies at underrated venues like Oklahoma State, Auburn, and Saint Mary's.

With that experience, the Bulldogs won't be intimidated by the bright lights but should have their hands full with a stacked Kansas lineup.

Yale was picked to win the Ivy League in the preseason poll, though a lot of that luster has worn off in the early part of the season.

Expectations are still high, internally and externally, for the Bulldogs to compete near the league's top, but Princeton has emerged as the clear front-runner.

Some of that is due to the Tigers' 10-1 start, with impressive wins over Rutgers, Hofstra, Duquesne, Fruman and Drexel.

But it's more about Yale's rocky start.

Most of the Bulldog's losses can be explained away. The trip to Gonzaga was an expected loss. A good Weber State team beat Yale in overtime. Yale lost on the road at Rhode Island. Their loss at Vermont was a viral sensation, featuring one of the wildest ref-affected collapses you'll ever see.

That said, losing all four games, plus a less explainable home loss to Fairfield, is concerning.

The team misses EJ Jarvis, who transferred to Florida after graduating last season. He was a force in the paint and on the glass for a team that prided itself on getting stops. Last year's Yale team was 50th nationally in defensive efficiency. This season, they've dropped to 147th.

A team like Rhode Island shouldn't have their most efficient offensive game against a veteran, well-coached Bulldogs squad.

Yale looks balanced offensively, with four players averaging in double-figures. Still, finding that balance on a game-to-game basis has proven tricky.

Inside, sophomore 7-footer Danny Wolf has emerged as a weapon, yet his presence in the paint can clog up attacking lanes for veteran slashers Matt Knowling and Bez Mbeng.

Even if James Jones is on the short list of coaches I'd trust to match wits with Bill Self, Yale is at such a talent disadvantage here that it's hard to see them keeping pace. The Bulldogs only lost to Gonzaga by 15, but Wolf was scoreless against the size and speed of a power conference-style team like the Zags.

Kansas has played like one of the best teams in the nation, and it's pretty easy to see why.

Look at their lineup. The first four names jump off the page.

Hunter Dickinson was the best player in the transfer portal this offseason, a superstar at Michigan that picked up where he left off. He's averaging 19.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game.

Kevin McCullar was one of the premier do-everything glue guys in the sport, yet has sprouted into a difference maker offensively, averaging nearly 20 points per game as well. He's already recorded two triple-doubles this year.

Dajuan Harris has limitations as a shooter or scorer, but his value comes as an experienced floor general, with 117 games played as the Jayhawks' point guard.

Similarly, KJ Adams isn't the most skilled player but can run and jump at elite levels, making him a fierce two-way weapon.

The issue for Kansas comes in finding value beyond that foursome.

Elmarko Jackson is a big-time recruit and has started every game in his freshman season but only averages 6.1 points on unimpressive shooting splits, mostly fading into the background. That's OK as a fifth option, but Harris and Adams only bring so much offensively that Rock Chalk wants more box-score value from Jackson.

Self has a real grab bag of options off the bench but doesn't seem keen on them.

The Jayhawks rank 351st in bench minutes played, though that's expected of Self. Last year, he rode his starting five as much as anyone, ranking dead last in the nation in bench minutes. He trusts his guys, whether they have foul trouble or are off to a cold start.

Self knows that his best lineup is his best bet to win. According to EvanMiya, Kansas' top five have played the third-most possessions together of any five-man lineup.

The must-have app for college basketball bettors

The best NCAAB betting scoreboard

Free picks from proven pros

Live win probabilities for your bets

DOWNLOAD NOW

If this game were played in early November, Yale would be an exciting underdog, with a point spread closer to single digits.

But after what we've seen from the Bulldogs over the past month, it's hard to see them staying within arm's reach of Kansas.

The key matchup in this game is the 7-footers in the paint. Dickinson is too intelligent, crafty and versatile for a player like Wolf to slow down. I'd recommend investing in some Dickinson props once those become available.

I'm laying the points with Kansas at -14.5 from a game perspective, but I wouldn't go an inch further.

If the line stays at 14.5 or moves toward Yale, I'm all over the Jayhawks.

Rock Chalk.

Pick: Kansas -14.5 or Better

ESPN Bet Sportsbook is now another option to maximize your Yale vs Kansas action. You can now use our ESPN BET promo code TANBONUS for a new user welcome.