Kansas State vs Texas Betting Preview: Battle of Ranked Teams
Longhorns Favored at Home Over Wildcats
No. 25 Kansas State (6-2) visits No. 7 Texas in one of the better college football games on Saturday’s schedule. This is one of four games involving two ranked teams. The Wildcats have been playing well, with three straight wins and point spread covers. Texas has won both games since being upset by Oklahoma. Both teams are tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference with 4-1 records. The Kansas State vs Texas betting preview shows the Longhorns are favored by 4.5 points, and the total on the game is 51.
Kansas State Wildcats vs Texas Longhorns 
Day/Time:
Location: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
Streaming: FOX
Records: Texas -5
Total: 51.5
Wildcats Lack Signature Win
There isn’t much you can fault Kansas State for this season. The Wildcats are 6-2 straight-up and against the point spread. For those who partake in over-under betting, the Wildcats are 4-4 in totals. But the one knock against Kansas State is it hasn’t really beaten anybody this season. Kansas State’s four conference wins are against teams with a combined 5-15 conference record. But the Wildcats lost to Oklahoma State, the lone team it’s played with a winning conference record.
On the field, Kansas State has put up some impressive stats. The Wildcats average 37.4 points per game against teams, allowing 27.5 points. Kansas State rushes for 226.1 yards per game and throws for 238.6 yards. Defenses can’t key in on any one aspect of the Wildcat offense. Kansas State is rushing 42 times per game and throwing 31. But running the ball against Texas isn’t an easy task.
As good as the offense is, the defense is just as solid. Kansas State is allowing 15.9 points per game to teams 26.3. The Wildcats allow 3.8 yards per rush and limited teams to 58.1% passing. Kansas State has allowed a total of three points in its last two games. But those were against Houston and TCU.
Longhorns’ Title Hopes Now a Longshot
At No. 7, the Longhorns are still in the playoff picture. But it’s going to be tough. Texas needs to win out and capture the Big 12 Conference championship game. Then, hope the right teams suffer losses along the way. The NCAAF championship odds on the Longhorns at +1600. Six teams have lower odds. So, it’s not entirely out of the question. But Texas needs to worry about Kansas State first.
The Longhorns will enter the game, averaging 34.5 points per game against teams allowing 26.1 points per game. Texas runs a bit more than it throws. But the passing game is the most effective aspect of the offense. The Longhorns run for 180.3 yards per game and throw for 274.1.
But the defense is pretty strong, itself. Texas allows just 15.9 points per game against teams averaging 29.6. The Longhorns allow just 3.2 yards per carry and 5.0 yards per play. But the defense has been a big factor in Texas’ 2-6 record in totals this season.
What to Expect
The Kansas State vs Texas betting preview expects Kansas State to come out and test the Texas rushing defense early on. The Wildcats move the ball on the ground well and just can’t concede the running game to Texas’ defense. Kansas State could have a bit more success through the air where the Texas secondary has allowed some yardage.
The Longhorns aren’t likely to do anything differently. Texas makes more big plays through the air. But Texas is 4-0 straight-up and 3-1 ATS when rushing for at least 175 yards. The ground game drives the offense. Besides, the Wildcats have allowed a minimum of 4.2 yards per carry in each of their last five games.
Who to Bet On?
The Kansas State vs Texas betting preview notes that Kansas State is going to be a popular play for bettors’ NCAAF picks on Saturday. But the Wildcats’ lack of a quality win makes it a little hard to back Kansas State here. The Longhorns lost to Oklahoma but have a win over Alabama to show. And the Crimson Tide are better than any team Kansas State has played this season.
The total is a tough call. Both teams can score but also have pretty solid defenses. Instead of trying to beat the total, the best bet in this one is going to be the Texas Longhorns -4.5. Texas has shown more against the better teams on its schedule and believes it’s the right side here.
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