CHRISTMAS MORNING IS JUST DAYS AWAY.

As with every year, I will spend countless hours going through the first round matchups over the next few days. However, a few matchups always jump out right away, usually involving teams I had circled to target as potential sleepers for various reasons.

Well, three underdogs in particular screamed at me right off the bat, including two No. 13 seeds that I will be advancing in the first round in my bracket. Let’s take a look at the trio and why I like each.

#13 Northeastern +8.5 vs. #4 Kansas

Thursday, 4 p.m ET on TNT | Salt Lake City, Utah

Northeastern runs one of the most beautiful and efficient offenses you will watch. The Huskies score an elite 1.028 points per possession, which is among the five-best marks of the entire NCAA tournament field.

Senior star point guard Vasa Pusica is the straw that stirs the drink for an offense that ranks fifth in the country in Effective FG%. Pusica missed some time earlier this season, but the offense has been humming since his return.

The Huskies have capable shooters all over. Northeastern takes a ton of 3s and makes a ton of 3s since it generally gets great looks as a result of splendid ball movement. A top-25 ranking in both 3-point attempt rate and 3-point shooting percentage is all you need to know about the Huskies’ capability from the behind the arc.

Bill Coen’s squad comes in with a ton of confidence, having won 12 of 13 and the CAA conference title to close out the year. (The only loss came in overtime on the road at Charleston.)