It might not look like it from afar, but the Kansas Jayhawks are in shambles heading into March Madness.
Leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. has been ruled out for the entire tournament, and second-leading scorer Hunter Dickinson appears questionable for Thursday’s game against Samford.
The betting markets have reacted aggressively to the Jayhawks’ shakey outlook, with the Kansas moneyline dropping from +310 to +240 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
No. 4 seed Kansas opened as 9.5-point favorites when the matchups were initially set and before the sharps smashed the line with the injury news, and they are now -7.
DraftKings tells The Post that No. 13 seed Samford has received 72 percent of the handle against the spread (ATS) and 72 percent of the handle on the moneyline.
Fifty percent of ATS bets (total number of bet tickets) are on Samford, while taking just 44 percent of the total moneyline bets.
With just 44 percent of the total number of bets and 72 percent of the handle, Samford’s moneyline has been receiving some significant-sized bets and is one of the most popular underdogs in the field.
Being without McCullar Jr. and possibly Dickinson would make Kansas ripe for an upset.
McCullar Jr. and Dickinson combined for 48 percent of the Jayhawks’ scoring during the regular season.
Dickinson is recovering from a dislocated shoulder he suffered from just two weeks ago, and coach Bill Self told reporters that Dickinson is doing everything in his power to get on the court Thursday.
If he doesn’t play, disaster stares the Jayhawks in the eyes.
Kansas was wrecked by 20 points by the Cincinnati Bearcats — a No. 2 seed in the NIT — in the Big 12 Tournament.
Samford will challenge Kansas from the outside as the Bulldogs are among the top teams in 3-point attempts per game, averaging 25.1 attempts per game.
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They are seventh in the country in 3-point percentage at 39.32 percent.
But keep your eyes on that injury report as Kansas is on upset alert Thursday.
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