🏀 Kansas State vs. Kansas Prediction & Odds: College Basketball Picks Today (March 7)

Two bitter in-state Big 12 rivals do battle as No. 14 Kansas hosts Kansas State to conclude the regular season. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. is set for 2 p.m. ET (CBS), with the Jayhawks listed as 16.5-point favorites.

My Kansas State vs. Kansas prediction looks for the Jayhawks to play inspired coming off a bad 10-point loss at Arizona State, especially since they already own an 86-62 road win over the Wildcats this season. Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga turned in his one of his 12 double-doubles of the season in that first meeting, and my best player prop wager backs him to have another monster game.

🏀 Kansas State vs. Kansas picks & odds today: March 7

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 3.0 units | Max profit: 2.8 units

💰 Kansas State vs. Kansas prediction & best bet

Kansas -16.5 (-110)

Kansas emphatically ended a three-game losing streak at the "Octagon of Doom" in late January, and did so without Darryn Peterson. 

Wildcats second-leading scorer Abdi Bashir Jr. appears on track to miss his 13th straight game, while forward Khamari McGriff has scored in single digits in seven of eight games since returning from injury after he missed the first matchup. 

Kansas State has since fired its head coach and is 0-8 on the road in league play. Its seventh-ranked tempo should be its undoing, as it’s never smart playing a high-possession game against a much more talented team as Kansas.

Score prediction: Kansas 85, Kansas State 66

🔥 Best Kansas State vs. Kansas player prop bet

Flory Bidunga Over 25.5 points + rebounds (-102)

Flory Bidunga is playing his eighth game against a team ranked outside KenPom’s top 100. In the first seven, he has averaged 19.1 points and 8.9 rebounds, with four double-doubles. 

Bidunga scored 21 points in the first meeting with Kansas State, one of five games he has scored 20-plus in this year. His inside presence was a big reason the Jayhawks finished with a massive 46-to-18 edge in points in the paint. 

Entering that game, Kansas State was giving up a league-worst 18.3 second chance points per game. Thus, Bidunga’s 12th-best offensive rebounding rate in Big 12 play (10.8%) is a big reason why I am not just backing his point total, but am instead combining it with his rebounds as well.

🚀 Kansas State vs. Kansas same-game parlay

Wildcats fans were likely not thrilled to watch Kansas lose by 10 at Arizona State on Tuesday, as the Jayhawks are 6-2 ATS after a loss. In addition, Kansas is the most profitable team to the Under this season, cashing it in 21 of 30 games. So while I am backing the Over on Flory Budinga's points and rebounds, that leg of the parlay doesn't necessarily clash with the Under if he has a big day on the backboards. 

💡 How I'm betting Kansas State vs. Kansas

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

Though my game prediction and O/U wagers are four-star plays, I am making those as well as the player prop wager all one-unit bets. While backing Kansas to cover the 16.5-point spread is my top play, I wouldn't put anyone off a smaller-unit play on the alternate spread, given that the Jayhawks already beat the Wildcats by 24 points without Darryn Peterson. If you think Kansas can win by 20 points again, laying that big of a spread pays +150 odds at bet365.

📊 Live Kansas State vs. Kansas odds

The point spread opened unanimously at Kansas -16.5 across all the best sports betting sites, and had seen no movement anywhere within the first couple hours of posting.

There was a big gap in the opening totals across the best sports betting sites, as the O/U ranged from 152.5 at DraftKings to 154.5 at FanDuel. I would expect DraftKings to come up and align with the rest of the market considering the Over is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings between these teams.

📈 Kansas State vs. Kansas betting trends

📺 How to watch Kansas vs. Kansas State

• Date: Saturday, March 7
• Tipoff: 2 p.m. ET
• Location: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.)
• TV: CBS