South Region betting shifts into high gear with Kansas favored big and New Mexico trying to cover small odds against Stanford.
In their last seven games as a double-digit betting favorite, the 2-seed Kansas Jayhawks are 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS.
They'll look to continue that trend on Friday as a 14-point favorite against the 15-seed Eastern Kentucky Colonels.
Earlier in the day, Friday's first game in the South bracket features 7-seed New Mexico as a 3-point favorite against 10-seed Stanford.
[ See history of 2 vs 15 matchups and 7 vs 10 bracket history ]
Kansas hasn't been the same since losing star freshman center Joel Embiid to injury. The Jayhawks finished the season on a 2-3 SU and ATS skid, but still landed an at-large 2-seed with a 24-9 SU and 17-16 ATS record overall.
Kansas still has another freshman sensation healthy in Andrew Wiggins, who averaged 17.4 PPG this year.
Eastern Kentucky ended its regular season on a 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS run that included a 3-0 SU and ATS run through the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament to win the league's title.
Eastern Kentucky has never won an NCAA tournament game, but has covered the spread in its last two tourney appearances and is 5-1 ATS in its last six games as an underdog overall.
Eastern Kentucky vs. Kansas tips off at 4:10pm at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Right before that game is the Stanford vs. New Mexico betting matchup at 1:40pm.
Stanford earned an at-large bid with a 21-12 SU and 17-12-2 ATS record on the season, but ended the year on a low note. The Cardinal went just 3-4 SU and 1-5-1 ATS over its last seven games.
Stanford is also just 1-5 ATS in its last six NCAA Tournament games.
New Mexico hasn't fared too well in the NCAA Tournament either recently with a 3-9 ATS record in 12 tournament games since 1997. The Lobos enter the postseason hot this year though, on a 15-2 SU and 14-3 ATS tear.
Included in that hot streak is a 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS run through the Mountain West Tournament for the conference title.
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