North Carolina Central vs Kansas Odds, Picks and Predictions: Dickinson Makes Presence Known

The Kansas Jayhawks once again begin a new season with high expectations, and they’ll host North Carolina Central to kick off the campaign tonight. 

Kansas fell in the second round of last season's NCAA Tournament despite being a No. 1 seed, and our college basketball odds have the Jayhawks as heavy favorites tonight. They’ve got a talented squad of returning veterans and perhaps the biggest transfer pickup of the offseason, and Bill Self will be looking to make a much deeper run this year.

North Carolina Central head coach LeVelle Moton had success last year, finishing second in the MEAC. But he’s got a whole new team to work with, bringing in 11 new players, including six JUCO transfers. The team is also moving on from the tragic passing of Devin Butts earlier this year, and hoping to play in his memory.

Our college basketball picks and predictions for North Carolina Central vs Kansas explain why the new-look NCCU roster won’t be a challenge on the glass for Kansas’ new big man.

North Carolina Central vs Kansas best odds

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North Carolina Central vs Kansas picks and predictions

NC Central lost its Top 5 rebounders from a season ago and has just two players who stand taller than 6-foot-7 on the roster. That’s from a squad that ranked 220th in the nation in defensive rebound rate a season ago. NCCU did finish 76th in offensive rebounding rate, meaning Kansas will likely place a bit of emphasis on cleaning the glass. 

Enter Hunter Dickinson. The Michigan transfer had 11 rebounds in Kansas’ 73-55 preseason win over Fort Hays State after grabbing nine boards against Illinois in an 82-75 loss. He could’ve had more, but the Illini reclaimed 13 of 31 missed shots on the night. 

Dickinson hauled in nine or more boards in nine of his final 12 games last season and averaged nine per game on the season. He was also good for more than two offensive boards per game, and at 7-foot-2, he is going to have plenty of chances to get his own shot off anything his teammates miss. 

Helping his rebounding total is the fact that the Jayhawks around him aren’t extremely tall either. Kevin McCullar Jr. and KJ Adams Jr. are the two men manning the frontcourt alongside Dickinson, and both are 6-foot-7. 

McCullar did haul in eight boards against Illinois, all on the defensive end, and Parker Braun will spell Dickinson as the only other true “big” on the team, but he played just six minutes against Illinois in the exhibition. 

But tonight, the glass should belong to Dickinson. DraftKings has the only prop market available for this game as of Monday morning, and it's got his line set at 8.5 rebounds. 

I’m jumping on the Over here at -115. Dickinson grabbed 12 rebounds in his season opener last year and should get to double digits once again against an overmatched NCCU frontcourt. 

My best bet: Hunter Dickinson over 8.5 rebounds (-115 at DraftKings)64% boost available

North Carolina Central vs Kansas same-game parlay

Hunter Dickinson Over 8.5 rebounds

Dickinson Over 16.5 points

Dajuan Harris Jr. Over 5.5 assists

64% boost available

+485 +795 at DraftKings

Given the nature of the matchup, our same-game parlay options are a bit limited, but that doesn't mean they're barren.

Not only should Dickinson dominate the glass, but his size and offensive rebounding ability should allow him to get to 17+ points in this contest. In their game against LSU last season, the Eagles allowed both of the Tigers bigs to reach that point total. Dickinson scored 22 or more in his first two games last season and should be ready here.

Dajuan Harris Jr. ranked ninth in all of college basketball with 6.2 assists per game a season ago. He registered at least five assists in 26 of his 36 games last year, and he registered eight against Illinois. There’s no reason he won’t get to that total here.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

North Carolina Central vs Kansas spread and Over/Under analysis

Our game tonight is only on offer as of Monday morning at DraftKings and FanDuel, and there’s some variance in the two lines. FanDuel has Kansas as a 28.5-point favorite while DraftKings has them laying an additional point. 

Thirty points is a lot to ask a team to win by. Kansas is likely going to try to get some bench guys minutes and rotate a bit, and the amount of time the starters are out will likely dictate what the final score is. NCCU is in a tough space. Losing your entire starting five is tough for any program, but replacing many of them with players at the JUCO level is even harder. 

Playing on the road against the Jayhawks is simply too daunting and this game should be a runaway victory for the hosts. But I’d stay away from the spread, as there’s a possibility of a backdoor cover for the visitors in garbage time.

As for the total, it also has a bit of a deviation. DraftKings has the lower number at 140.5 with FanDuel setting its line one point higher. 

I’m leaning Under on this one. NCCU having an all-new team means it will struggle at times to generate offense, and Kansas needs to try out some lineup combinations ahead of a big game against Kentucky next week. That should keep the score down enough.

North Carolina Central vs Kansas betting trend to know

The Under is 20-4 in NCCU’s last 24 away games. Find more college basketball betting trends for North Carolina Central vs Kansas.

North Carolina Central vs Kansas game info

North Carolina Central vs Kansas key injuries

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