Kansas Jayhawks vs Kansas State Wildcats Matchup

Check out our free Kansas Jayhawks vs Kansas State Wildcats pick and preview for this CFB week 9 game in Manhattan. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 9 CFB matchup.

ESPN2 will be covering the Kansas Jayhawks vs. Kansas State Wildcats matchup, set to kick off at 8:00 ET from Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan. The Wildcats are the heavy favorite with a -9.5 point spread, and the over/under line is at 55.5 points. The Wildcats are 6-1 on the season, while the Jayhawks come in with a 2-5 record. The money line odds are currently at -366 for Kansas State and +280 for Kansas.

Jayhawks vs. Wildcats Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Kansas Jayhawks at Kansas State Wildcats
Where: Manhattan at Bill Snyder Family Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Betting Odds KANST -9.5, KAN +280 | KANST -366 O/U 55.5

Jayhawks Preview:

Heading into Week 9 against Kansas State, Kansas holds a 2-5 record and ranks 35th in our power rankings. They have a 9.2% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. At home, they are 1-2, while they are 0-3 on the road this season.

Kansas has been favored in four of their seven games but has gone 1-3 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +6.4 points per game, but they are 1-5 against the spread this season.

The over/under line for this week is 55.5 points. Kansas’ games have averaged 54.4 points, with their over/under record at 4-2. Their average over/under line has been 54.2 points, with an average margin of +0.8 points.

Jayhawks Offense Breakdown

Kansas enters week 9 averaging 30.4 points per game, ranking 42nd in the nation. We have them just outside the top 40 in our offensive power rankings, placing them 43rd overall. The Jayhawks’ ground game has been their strength, averaging 215.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 17th nationally.

Devin Neal leads the rushing attack with 692 yards, seven touchdowns, and an average of 5 yards per carry. Quarterback Jalon Daniels has thrown for 1,312 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 79.

Jayhawks Team Defense

Kansas' defense is currently ranked 48th in the nation, allowing 24 points per game. In their recent game against Houston, they gave up just 14 points, while forcing four interceptions. They allowed 335 total yards, including 98 rushing yards on 32 attempts and 237 passing yards.

On average, Kansas has allowed 149.9 rushing yards per game and 209.3 passing yards. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 58.6% of their passes, with a passer rating of 81.8 against Kansas.

Wildcats Preview:

Kansas has been favored in four of their seven games but has gone 1-3 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +6.4 points per game, but they are 1-5 against the spread this season.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Kansas State’s offense is ranked 16th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9, and they are averaging 33.3 points per game, placing them 29th nationally. Their strength is their rushing attack, with 224 rushing yards per game, ranking 9th in the country.

DJ Giddens leads the ground game with 843 rushing yards, averaging 6 yards per carry, and has scored four touchdowns. Quarterback Avery Johnson has thrown for 1,401 yards and 14 touchdowns but has also been intercepted five times. He has a passer rating of 101.

Wildcats Team Defense

Kansas State's defense has been strong against the run this season, ranking 14th nationally by allowing just 95.6 rushing yards per game. In their recent game against West Virginia, they gave up 152 rushing yards on 43 attempts but held the Mountaineers to just 18 points and forced two interceptions.

Opponents have averaged 250.3 passing yards per game against Kansas State, completing 63.1% of their passes. The Wildcats rank 31st in the country, allowing 20.6 points per game.

Jayhawks vs Wildcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, Kansas has an ATS record of 3-7 while averaging 33 per game. The team went 4-6 overall in these games.
When looking at their past three home matchups, Kansas State has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 28 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
The last three games that Kansas was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 0-3 straight up.
Kansas State has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.