Wildcats vs Cowboys Odds: Kansas State Solid Road Favorites

Friday night is traditionally reserved for high school football. But that won’t stop the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys from meeting Friday evening. Both teams are coming off bye weeks. The Wildcats are 3-1 straight-up and against the spread. Oklahoma State is 2-2 straight-up, but just 1-3 against the spread. The Wildcats vs Cowboys odds show Kansas State is favored by -10.5 points on the road with the total at 55.

Wildcat Defense Showing Some Cracks

Kansas State has some impressive stats, but the defense is cause for a little bit of concern. After holding Southeast Missouri State and Troy to a combined 13 points, Kansas State has allowed Missouri and UCF to each score 30 points. The Wildcats were able to defeat UCF 44-31 in their last game but fell to Missouri 30-27 the week before.

Kansas State is still allowing just 18.5 points per game, although its best numbers occurred in the first two games. The Wildcats are allowing 2.6 yards per carry and the secondary is allowing 264.3 passing yards per game. Kansas State has allowed 620 yards in the past two weeks.

Offensively, Kansas State is getting the job done, scoring 39.5 points per game. The Wildcats have scored 40 or more points in three games and 27 points in the remaining game. So, it’s no surprise Kansas State is 3-1 in totals. The Wildcats are a well-balanced team, running the ball 38 times per game and throwing 36 times.

Kansas State hasn’t played the toughest of schedules. There have been no games against any team in the NCAAF rankings, and the Jeff Sagarin college football ratings have KSU with the No. 52nd toughest schedule in the country.

Kansas State’s loss to Missouri will have the Wildcats on the outside looking in for a playoff berth unless it can run the table. That won’t be easy with Texas, TCU, and Texas Tech among the teams on the remaining schedule. The NCAAF championship odds on Kansas State are +30000.

Cowboys Struggling After 2-0 Start

The Oklahoma State Cowboys jumped out of the gate with a 2-0 record, but have lost their last two games, failing to cover the point spread in either one. Oklahoma State has to get better play at quarterback if it wants to turn things around. Cowboy quarterbacks have five TD passes and four interceptions while completing 55.8% of their passes.

The rushing game hasn’t been bad, with the Cowboys averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Oklahoma State is rushing for 122.8 yards per game. The Cowboys are throwing 40.8 times per game and running 28.3 times. The low completion percentage has Oklahoma State throwing a little more than it would like.

Defensively, the Cowboys are allowing 23.8 points, but have allowed 67 points in their last two games. Oklahoma State’s opponents average 19.8 points on offense, so they’re allowing a few more points than they should.

The Cowboys have had a relatively easy schedule so far this season. But it’s about to get a bit tougher, although not as difficult as it could be. The Cowboys miss Texas and TCU this season in Big 12 Conference play.

What to Expect

Kansas State doesn’t want to come out and do anything differently. The Wildcats have one of the best-balanced NCAAF offenses around and their solid running and passing. The Cowboys may be a little better against the run, but they’re not great. Kansas State wants to chew up some clock and continue to win the time of possession battle.

The Cowboys aren’t likely to have their typical success running the ball. But they need to move the ball on the ground to some extent. The quarterbacks haven’t shown they’re capable of winning games yet. More consistency from the quarterbacks would be a start to get the team back on track.

Who to Bet On?

The Wildcats vs Cowboys odds of Kansas State -10.5 is a tough call. The Wildcats are the better team and match up well against Oklahoma State. But it isn’t easy to lay double-digits on the road in a Big 12 Conference game. The Cowboys aren’t a terrible team and have good athletes.

Kansas State’s run defense could lead to a few more throws from Oklahoma State, which could help the over. The Wildcats vs Cowboys odds of 55 on the total taking into account the recent defensive efforts of both teams. It’s unlikely both teams will be on offensively, so there’s slight value to the under. Since the start of the 2019 season, games involving two teams who allowed 30 or more points in their previous game are 271-322-7 (45.7%) in totals.

For more NCAAF news, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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