Kansas vs Kansas State Odds, Picks and Predictions: Wildcats Overwhelmed by Jayhawks' Attack

The Kansas Jayhawks will look to carry the momentum from a huge win over Houston on Saturday into Bramlage Coliseum tonight when they take on their in-state rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats.

Kansas' 13-point win over the Cougars was impressive as it dismantled the nation's best defense. The Jayhawks are now favored in the college basketball odds on the road against Kansas State, which has lost its last four games.

The Jayhawks are riding high after Saturday’s win, and now get the opportunity to knock off a struggling opponent and stay at the top of the Big 12 standings. I’ll break down their chances to do so in my free college basketball picks for Kansas vs. Kansas State on February 5.

Kansas vs Kansas State best odds

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Kansas vs Kansas State picks and predictions

Kansas came into Saturday’s game as a slight underdog against a Houston team that had been dominant on the defensive end throughout the season. In the end, the Jayhawks put up 78 points on the Cougars and led by double digits for virtually the entire second half of the game. It was the latest example of just how potent this Jayhawks' offense can be against even the toughest of opponents.

Kansas State probably isn’t an exception to this rule. Yes, the Wildcats are a strong defensive team with KenPom ranking them as the No. 26 adjusted defensive in the country. But overall, they can’t throw anything at the Jayhawks they haven’t seen before. 

Kansas is scoring 79.1 points per game, despite playing at an average pace and having faced several of the toughest defenses in the country already this year. Kansas State may look good on defense compared to the country at large, but it's not elite — and the Jayhawks have already proven they can score against even better units.

That means the Wildcats will need to score themselves to stay in tonight’s game. Kansas State is scoring 72 points per game, which ranks well outside the top 200 teams in the nation. The Wildcats are also shooting just 43.3% from the field and 31.1% from 3-point range, which is one of the lowest figures in the country. 

In its recent four-game losing streak, the Wildcats are averaging just 61 points per game and haven’t held an opponent below 73 points. For a point of comparison, they lost by 22 points at Houston — a stark contrast to how Kansas played the Cougars.

The Jayhawks may only be a small favorite in tonight’s game — likely because this is a road game against a longtime rival — but they are a much better team from top to bottom, and recent results only seem to be accentuating this gap. I’m taking Kansas to cover the spread tonight.

My best bet: Kansas -4.5 (-105 at FanDuel)

Kansas vs Kansas State same-game parlay

Kansas -4.5

Over 145

Hunter Dickinson Over 17.5 points

+410 at DraftKings

If you saw my preview for Kansas’ win over Houston on Saturday, this same-game parlay may look familiar. But if it’s not broken, why fix it?

I’m taking Kansas to cover the spread this time, and again pairing it with an Over bet. The Jayhawks score against everyone, and did so even against a Houston team that plays slow and hounds opponents on defense. It’ll be even easier for Kansas to do so against Kansas State, and both teams should find even scoring to get Over the 145 total.

I’m also once again taking the Over on Hunter Dickinson’s scoring prop. He’s facing another somewhat undersized team tonight, and should get plenty of opportunities to get to 18 points or more as the Jayhawks look to him for easy points in the paint.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Kansas vs Kansas State spread and Over/Under analysis

Kansas opened tonight’s game as a 5.5-point favorite. The consensus spread has fallen to Kansas -4.5, and some books are even offering a flat four-point line instead. You can get -105 on Kansas if you’re willing to lay the 4.5 points, or take -110 on either side with the four-point spread.

Both teams have been mediocre against the spread this year. Kansas is 10-11 ATS, while Kansas State has put up a 10-12 ATS mark on the season.

The total on this game opened at 144 points. That number has come up slightly, with various books now have the Over/Under anywhere from 144.5 to 145.5. You can get -110 on either side of any of these lines, with slight variations available at some sites.

Both teams have played close to the total this year. The Over has the slight 11-10 edge in Kansas’ games, while the Under holds a 12-10 advantage when Kansas State takes the court this season.

Kansas vs Kansas State betting trend to know

Kansas State is 0-5 ATS in its last five games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. Kansas State.

Kansas vs Kansas State game info

Kansas vs Kansas State key injuries

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