Fordham Rams vs Kansas Jayhawks Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 1

Kansas lays 22.5 in its home opener with a rotation built around freshmen, against a Fordham team that returns its entire frontcourt and allowed just 65.5 points a game last season. The two teams' scoring margins last season were nearly identical.

The Matchup

Kansas is a 22.5-point favorite over Fordham at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence on Monday night, with a total of 146.5, streaming on ESPN+. It is the season opener for both teams. Kansas finished 24-11 last season, scoring 75.1 points per game and allowing 69.1. Fordham finished 17-15, scoring 69.8 and allowing 65.5. Those are last season's numbers, and both rosters look different now, although Fordham's looks a lot less different than most.

Fordham returns its entire frontcourt, which almost never happens anymore. Rikus Schulte started all 32 games last season and averaged 10.7 points and 9.1 rebounds, leading the Rams in rebounding and blocks. Akira Jacobs played in all 32 games too, starting 30, and Jack Whitbourn is back after injuries limited his first Fordham season to 11 games. Seven Rams return in all, and the identity travels with them: defense first, rebounding second, and very little given away cheaply.

Kansas is building the other way, around youth. Stokes is the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class and Kinney is a five-star freshman guard, with Kaufman-Renn arriving from Purdue and the 7-foot-1 Mbiya from the NBA Academy. It is a talented group, and an untested one: Kansas lost both of its exhibitions against ranked teams at home, 89-83 to Louisville and 90-84 to No. 2 Duke, giving up 89 and 90 points, and Bill Self, in his 24th season, is asking freshmen to run one of the loudest buildings in the sport from night one.

Key Factors

The strangest thing about this line is how close the two teams were last season. Kansas outscored its opponents by 6.1 points a night and Fordham by 4.4, a gap under 2 points before home court. Allen Fieldhouse is worth real points, and Kansas's ceiling is far above Fordham's, but 22.5 is a number built on recruiting rankings and reputation rather than on anything these two programs did on the floor last season.

Fordham's defense is the mechanism. A team that allowed 65.5 points a game, with a veteran frontcourt that rebounds, is built to shorten a game: fewer easy baskets, fewer transition chances, and a favorite forced to execute in the half court against set defense. The total of 146.5 fits that kind of night. Kansas may well control the game, but control and a 23-point margin are different things when the opponent is content to play slow and physical.

The honest counterpoint is Kansas at home in an opener. Kansas has won 55 straight home openers and is 23-0 in home openers under Self, and Allen Fieldhouse has swallowed better Fordham teams than this one.

If Stokes plays like the top recruit in his class from the opening tip and Kansas's length bothers Schulte inside, Fordham's offense, which scored only 69.8 a game last season, may not reach the high 50s, and then even a modest Kansas night covers. The bet is that a veteran, defensive underdog is the wrong opponent for a freshman-led favorite to be laying this many against in game one.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.