Kansas vs. Howard NCAA Tournament Round 1: How to watch, odds and predictions for March Madness

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 11: Dajuan Harris Jr. #3 of the Kansas Jayhawks shoots a layup against Christian Bishop #32 of the Texas Longhorns during the Big 12 Tournament Championship game at T-Mobile Center on March 11, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Though Bill Self will reportedly be back roaming the sidelines for Kansas vs. Howard on Thursday afternoon, it still stands to reason that minimizing stress would be a top priority.

According to a statement from the University, Self missed portions of the Big 12 Tournament to undergo a “standard heart catheterization” and have two stents put in place to treat blockage in his arteries. The most reassuring part of Kansas’ opening game will doubtlessly being seeing Self in good spirits, but there’s still a 16 vs. 1 battle to take care of before their path to a potential repeat bid can begin in earnest.

Self’s Kansas roster features star freshman guard Gradey Dick and Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar Jr. picking up some of Ochai Agbaji and Remy Martin’s slack, and both standouts will be looking to make a statement Thursday in Des Moines.

That statement? Get us out of Des Moines and to the Sweet 16.

How to watch Kansas vs. Howard in the NCAA Tournament Round 1

Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Channel: TBS
Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live, fuboTV
Announcers: Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce

Kansas vs. Howard NCAA Tournament Round 1 odds

According to FanDuel’s odds, Kansas will have to cover a massive spread to make bettors happy — but hey, that’s what 16-1 matchups are all about, right? KU is a 22.5-point favorite, if you’d like to throw them in any parlays, and you can have that spread at -105 odds. Howard is -115 to cover +22.5. Kansas on the moneyline is a cumbersome -8000, and if you like Howard’s odds of becoming the next UMBC, you can take them at the somehow-not-juicy-enough +2200.

The O/U for this game is 145.5, and both the over and under are marked at -110 odds.

Kansas vs. Howard NCAA Tournament Round 1 prediction

Kansas hasn’t been enjoying the smoothest end-of-season run, and this one could be a rockfight early before the Jayhawks eventually pull away and put their fans at ease.

Prediction: Kansas 84, Howard 58

Next. 10 Most Likely First-Round March Madness Upsets. dark

Home/March Madness