The Kansas State Wildcats take on the No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks in an in-state Big 12 rivalry game on Tuesday, March 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN.
Kansas State (17-12, 7-9 Big 12) enters this game fresh off a two-point loss to Cincinnati. The Wildcats are not currently in the NCAA Tournament picture and rank 68th overall at KenPom. They land at 19th in adjusted defensive efficiency, keeping opponents to 40.4% in the country (15th in the nation). Earlier this season, they defeated Kansas 75-70. Led by guard Tylor Perry, who scored 26 points in the win, K-State beat Kansas from the three-point line and out-rebounded them 50-37. Can they do it again?
Kansas (21-8, 9-7 Big 12) is in the hunt for a No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament this season. Their latest game ended in a loss to No. 11 Baylor. The Jayhawks rank 17th overall at KenPom and 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency. They also hold opponents to 40.4% from the field while shooting 49.6% (8th in the nation) on offense. The Jayhawks are led by Kevin McCullar with 19.1 points per game. McCullar recently returned from an injury.
Kansas State vs. Kansas odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Kansas -11
Total: 143
Moneyline: Kansas -625, Kansas State +455
Pick: Kansas State +11
This rivalry has plenty of juice behind it, and as two top-ranked defenses go head to head here, we can expect to see a dogfight on the court. K-State knows they can win this one, and Kansas is looking for a higher seed in the Big XII tournament and a favorable March Madness position. This spread is wide enough that I like Kansas State to cover on the road here, but I think the Jayhawks get the win.