Kansas St. Riding Four-Game Losing Skid, Hosts No. 8 Kansas
Kansas vs Kansas State Betting: Jayhawks Up to 5-Point Favorites
Kansas State will renew its rivalry with No. 8 Kansas on Monday (9 p.m. ET), seeking a marquee win to turn around its fortunes.
Kansas opened as a 4-point favorite and is now up to -5 on the NCAA basketball betting lines. The Jayhawks are also -205 on the moneyline, with priced Kansas State +175. The projected total is up to 145 after opening at 143.5.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Kansas vs Kansas State betting odds.
Kansas Jayhawks vs Kansas State Wildcats 
Location: Bramlage Coliseum; Manhattan, Kan.
Day/Time: Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
Kansas vs Kansas State Betting Trends
The Kansas Jayhawks are 10-11-1, including 2-4 away from home. Kansas has gone Over the total in 11 of its 22 games. Meanwhile, the Kansas State Wildcats are 10-12 ATS, including just 5-7 at home. The Wildcats are also 10-12 against the Over/Under.
Be sure to remember these trends when assessing the Kansas vs Kansas State betting odds.
Jayhawks Trending Upward
Kansas (18-4, 6-3) picked up another resume-boosting win on Saturday, defeating No. 4 Houston 78-65 as a 1-point underdog. The No. 8 Jayhawks have now beaten six different ranked teams this season, including No. 1 UConn on Dec. 1.
The Jayhawks have been a No. 1 seed 11 times in the last 17 seasons under Bill Self. Reaching that top line again may be difficult, but the Jayhawks are still tracking to be no worse than a No. 2 or 3 seed next month on Selection Sunday.
Oddsmakers remain bullish on Kansas, pricing it +400 to make the Final Four and +1700 to win the NCAA title. Only seven teams currently have shorter odds, including four the Jayhawks have already beaten: UConn (+800), Houston (+900), Tennessee (+1600), and Kentucky (+1600).
Kansas has been among the country’s most efficient teams, ranking second in field goal rate at 51.5% and 33rd in points differential at plus-11.6.
Guard Kevin McCullar Jr. leads the Jayhawks in scoring, averaging 19.7 points on 48% shooting, including 35.9% from 3. Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson is averaging 18.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.
Kansas is just 10-11-1 ATS, according to NCAAB scores, but it has gone Over the total in five of its last seven games. It is also 5-2 against the Over/Under during that span. Keep that in mind when analyzing the Kansas vs Kansas State betting odds.
K-State Fading
Kansas State lost twice more last week, including Saturday’s setback to an Oklahoma State team that had just one win in Big 12 Conference play. They’ve now dropped four straight and are in danger of falling further out of the picture for the NCAA Tournament.
As it is, the Wildcats (14-8, 4-5) have beaten only one ranked opponent — No. 18 Baylor — and have a NET ranking in the 80s. Oddsmakers have reacted accordingly, pricing them a +4000 longshot to reach the Final Four.
Offensive production remains an issue. Kansas State ranks just 240th nationally in scoring (72.0 PPG) and 261st in field goal percentage (43.3). The Wildcats’ point differential is plus-3.3.
Guard Cam Carter leads Kansas State in scoring at 15.8 points per game. He’s also averaging 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals. North Texas transfer Tylor Perry is averaging 14.6 points, and Creighton transfer Arthur Kaluma 14.4.
Kansas State has failed to cover in each of its last five games and is just 10-12 ATS. As an underdog, the Wildcats are 4-4 ATS and 3-5 OU. The Wildcats have also been difficult to trust against the Over/Under, having gone Under the total in 11 of their last 15 games.
Handicapping the Game
Kansas is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games against Kansas State. If Saturday’s performance against Houston is any indication, it looks primed to build on that.
The Jayhawks shot 68.9% from the floor against Houston, the highest percentage against the Cougars in a decade. They also were 6-of-13 from 3-point range and scored 42 points in the paint.
Kansas State is 10-2 at home this season, but it’ll need to turn around its fortunes in a hurry if it’s to pull off the upset. The Wildcats could certainly use that kind of win to bolster its standing before Selection Sunday in March.
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