Arizona and Kansas State kick off Big 12 conference play on Friday night in a pivotal top-25 matchup. Here is how to bet the game on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Arizona (+7.5) vs. Kansas State o/u 58.5
Arizona Team Breakdown
Arizona showed in Week 1 that they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Noah Fifita threw for 422 yards and four touchdowns in their opening game of the season against New Mexico. Of those 422 yards, 304 of them, and all four touchdowns, went to superstar WR Tetairoa McMillan. In a very sleepy spot last week, Arizona only scored 22 points against FCS Northern Arizona. However, Arizona’s coaching staff knows how important this matchup with Kansas State is in the Big 12 title race, so it would be safe to assume they went incredibly vanilla intentionally and didn’t want to put too much on tape before this big matchup.
Arizona’s defense played well last week but struggled in Week 1 against New Mexico. New Mexico has a dynamic dual-threat quarterback, Devon Dampier, who beat Arizona with his arm and legs. Kansas State QB Avery Johnson has shown great running ability and could exploit Arizona as Dampier did if they don’t make adjustments.
Kansas State Team Breakdown
Kansas State didn’t get the liberty of playing vanilla last week against Tulane. The Green Wave jumped out to an early lead and held that lead for most of the game. It wasn’t until late into the fourth quarter that Kansas State took the lead and ultimately won by a touchdown. QB Avery Johnson managed the game pretty well but didn’t create many explosive plays through the air. However, the Wildcats ran the ball efficiently throughout the game.
The concerning part for Kansas State fans is how the passing defense fared against Tulane. Kansas State gave up 342 yards through the air to Tulane QB Darian Mensah, who was making just his second career start. Arizona’s Noah Fifita is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and will tear that secondary apart if they don’t make adjustments before this week’s game.
Arizona vs. Kansas State Pick and Prediction
The Kansas State home crowd should be rocking on a Friday night for a big game like this. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is very talented but very inexperienced. Even though it’s his own home crowd, it will be worth monitoring Johnson’s composure in such an intense environment. Conversely, Noah Fifita is incredibly experienced and has performed well in hostile environments.
Both teams should be able to move the ball effectively. Kansas State can attack Arizona’s defense on the ground, particularly with Avery Johnson. However, Arizona should also be able to take it to Kansas State through the air with their incredible QB-WR tandem. Ultimately, this should be a high-scoring game that comes down to the final minutes, with both teams trading blows. For that reason, I am taking Arizona to stay within the number, as this could easily come down to the final possession or even overtime.
Best Bet: Arizona +7.5
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