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Kansas vs. Kansas State Odds, Picks, Predictions College Basketball: Who Will Win the Sunflower Showdown?

Shane Jackson

Last Updated: January 17, 2023 11:26 AM EST • 3 min 2 sec read.

KJ Adams Jr. of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates a basket against the Iowa State Cyclones as we share our favorite Oklahoma State vs. Kansas pick.
KJ Adams Jr. of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates a basket against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second half of the game at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 14. Ed Zurga/Getty Images/AFP

No. 2 Kansas looks to stay undefeated in Big 12 conference play when it visits Kansas State for a much-anticipated rivalry matchup on Tuesday. Check out below for our Kansas vs. Kansas State college basketball picks based on the top NCAAB odds.

If you're looking for one of the best atmospheres in college basketball this season, make sure to check out Tuesday's rivalry matchup between Kansas and Kansas State. Bramlage Coliseum is always packed and crazy when the Jayhawks come to town, but the Wildcats have exceeded expectations this season and are looking for a signature win in a new era. 

In Jerome Tang’s first year at the helm, Kansas State has started 15-2 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play after being picked to finish last in the conference. Kansas (16-1, 5-0 Big 12) has been playing with fire with three one-score games in league play. Is this the night KU finally gets burned? 

Here is our best Kansas vs. Kansas State college basketball pick (odds via PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our college basketball best bets for Tuesday.

Kansas vs. Kansas State Game Info

  • Date: Tuesday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS

Kansas vs. Kansas State Odds

Kansas vs. Kansas State Odds Analysis

When betting lines were first released Monday evening, Kansas opened as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 147.5. The total has dropped to a consensus of 147 and the spread has settled at 1.5 at most of our best sportsbooks as of Tuesday afternoon.

The early support for the Wildcats makes sense, as they're 11-6 against the spread and get the luxury of playing in front of their home crowd. The Jayhawks have managed to play close games even when they are big favorites over the last few weeks, going 7-10 against the spread on the year. From a total perspective, both teams are 10-7 to the Over entering the Sunflower Showdown.

Check out our best March Madness odds and Wooden Award odds.

Kansas vs. Kansas State Pick

Kansas -1.5 vs. Kansas State (-115 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From a power rating perspective, I make KU closer to a 4-point favorite and therefore my numbers show significant value on taking the road favorite. You just have to understand you're betting on the Jayhawks to prevail in a hostile environment.

But Kansas has played in these games already, which notably includes a road rivalry matchup with Missouri that turned into a 95-67 beatdown. This will be Tang’s debut in this rivalry, so he might not fully understand the hatred between these two programs. Simply put, the Jayhawks are better prepared for a game of this magnitude prior to tipoff.

From a scheme perspective, Kansas can take advantage of some K-State weaknesses. According to Synergy Sports Technology, the Wildcats rank in the 17th percentile in transition defense. That’s an area where the Jayhawks tend to thrive, ranking in the 91st percentile in transition offense. KU should be able to exploit K-State with back-cuts in the half-court as well.

The Jayhawks have absolutely been living on the edge with all these close games of late. They needed a double-digit comeback in the final minutes during a 79-75 win over Oklahoma before escaping Iowa State with a 62-60 victory last time out. KU was favored by multiple possessions in both contests, but we just need this team to essentially win the game to cash our four-star pick. 

That seems doable for a Kansas team that’s won 26 of its last 27 games, dating back to last year’s national championship run.

Kansas vs. Kansas State Best Odds

PointsBet (-115)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
-2-1.5-2.5-2-1.5
-110-118-105-110-115

Line shopping is a must when betting on the spread for this game, as only two sportsbooks have agreed on a 2-point line with standard -110 odds. BetMGM is the closest to my number with a 2.5-point spread, while FanDuel is offering the line we prefer at -118 vig.

As a result, our only choice here is PointsBet’s offering of a 1.5-point spread with -115 vig. According to Unabated’s line calculator tool, this is the best odds at the time of this writing, even with the juice. If PointsBet juices it even further, or moves it to 2, I’d be comfortable laying up to 2 points for this game.

Kansas-Kansas State pick made 1/17/2023 at 10 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Shane Jackson
After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Kansas in 2017, Shane Jackson covered college sports for a few years before moving to Las Vegas to pursue a career in sports betting. He created sports betting content for WynnBET and served as a sports gambling content director for Bet Chicago Sports. Shane’s favorite sports to watch and bet on are NFL, college football, college basketball, NBA, WNBA, and golf. Follow Shane on Twitter (@SJacksonBET) to get access to all of his betting analysis.