The No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks and the No. 13 seed Samford Bulldogs face off in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 9:55 p.m. ET. Kansas is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Samford vs. Kansas via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 153 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any Samford vs. Kansas picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows the Jayhawks will be without one of their best players, after guard Kevin McCullar Jr. suffered a knee injury and has been ruled out. Senior center Hunter Dickinson, who suffered a dislocated shoulder a week and a half ago, is expected to play. He has played in 31 games, all starts, and is averaging 18 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks in 32.2 minutes. Prior to being injured against Houston, Dickinson registered a double-double in a 90-68 win over Kansas State on March 5. In that game, he scored 15 points, while grabbing 20 rebounds.

The model also knows junior forward Achor Achor powers the Samford attack and is coming off a pair of dominant performances. In the Southern Conference semifinals against Furman, he poured in 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in an 84-77 win on March 10. He followed that up with a 25-point and nine-rebound effort in a 76-69 win over East Tennessee State in the title game. In 32 games, all starts, he is averaging 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.5 assists.

Now, the model has set its sights on Samford vs. Kansas. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Samford vs. Kansas, and which side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from that's on a 29-19 roll on top-rated college basketball spread picks!