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The third-seeded Kansas Jayhawks are making a record 31st consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and will square off with the No. 14 seed Eastern Washington Eagles in a West Region first-round matchup on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis. The Jayhawks (20-8) will be playing for the first time since March 11 after having to withdraw from the Big 12 Tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test. Eastern Washington (16-7) has lost only once in its last 14 games and earned its trip to the 2021 NCAA Tournament by winning the Big Sky Tournament.

Tip-off is at 1:15 p.m. ET at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The winner advances to the second round to play either USC or Drake on Monday. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Jayhawks as 10.5-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 147 in the latest Kansas vs. Eastern Washington odds. Before making any Eastern Washington vs. Kansas picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Kansas vs. Eastern Washington in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Eastern Washington vs. Kansas:

  • Kansas vs. Eastern Washington spread: Kansas -10.5
  • Kansas vs. Eastern Washington over-under: 147 points
  • Kansas vs. Eastern Washington money line: Kansas -700; Eastern Washington +475
  • KU: The Jayhawks are knocking down 43.97 percent of their field goals 
  • EWASH: The Eagles are 0-9 vs. Big 12 opponents

Why Kansas can cover 

Junior guard Ochai Agbaji is coming off his best game of the season in the Big 12 Tournament opener, scoring a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He also knocked down 4-of-8 3-point attempts in that contest, the fifth time in eight games he has buried at least three 3-pointers. Agbaji averaged a team-high 14.2 points and has scored in double figures in 23 games this season while snagging at least five rebounds on 10 occasions.

The Jayhawks will be without third-leading scorer and top rebounder Jalen Wilson (12.1 points, 8.2 rebounds per game) for at least one game due to a positive COVID-19 test, but they welcome back fellow forward and No. 2 scorer David McCormack. The 6-foot-10 McCormack also tested positive for COVID-19 and has not played since the regular-season finale. He finally arrived in Indianapolis on Friday in time to practice with the team.

Why Eastern Washington can cover

Senior forward Tanner Groves averaged a team-leading 16.5 points during the regular season and was named the Most Valuable Player in the Big Sky Conference. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Groves followed that up with a strong performance in the conference tournament, collecting a pair of double-doubles in the three games, to again earn MVP honors. He is shooting 55.7 percent from the floor and has scored in double figures in 20 consecutive games.

Four other players average between 11.7 and 10.0 points for the Eagles, led by guard-forward Kim Aiken Jr., who tops the squad with 8.5 rebounds per game. He grabbed at least 10 boards in six of his last 10 games, including the Big Sky semifinal and title game. Junior Michael Meadows has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 outings, while Jacob Groves, the younger brother of Tanner, scored 36 points in his last two contests.

How to make Eastern Washington vs. Kansas picks

The model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 145 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Eastern Washington vs. Kansas? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.