The No. 19 Houston Cougars (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) and Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 0-1) clash Saturday in Big 12 Conference action in Manhattan, Kansas. Kickoff from Bill Snyder Family Stadium is at 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX). Let's analyze college football odds around the Houston vs. Kansas State odds and make our expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.
The Cougars have won 2 games in a row after their conference loss to the No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders. Last Saturday, they beat the UCF Knights at home 27-17 as 10.5-point favorites with the Under (50.5) cashing. They came back from a 17-0 third-quarter deficit and scored 27 unanswered points. QB Conner Weigman passed for 239 yards and had 3 rushing TDs in the comeback.
The Wildcats,
after going 3-0 in their non-conference schedule, kicked off their Big 12 play with a 31-26 loss Sept. 26 at the Cincinnati Bearcats as 6.5-point favorites with the Over (55.5) cashing. In the loss, they allowed 250 rushing yards. QB Avery Johnson has thrown for 910 yards and 7 TDs in 4 games while rushing for 291 yards and scoring 3 times.
This will be the third meeting with the series tied 1-1. In their last meeting in 2024, Houston won 24-19 at home as 12.5-point underdogs with the Under (45.5) cashing.
– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports
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Houston at Kansas State odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 1:23 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Houston +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Kansas State -145 (bet $145 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Houston +2.5 (-105) | Kansas State -2.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 55.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Houston at Kansas State picks and predictions
Prediction
Houston 31, Kansas State 28
Moneyline
The Wildcats have been good offensively, scoring over 30 points 3 times and 26 as their worst output. But giving up 250 rushing yards to 2 running backs doesn't bode well for them. Can they slow Weigman, who has 11 TD passes and 6 rushing scores?
Houston rushes for 229 yards per game. That will be too much for the K-State defense.
BET HOUSTON (+120).
Against the spread
The Cougars are 1-0 ATS as underdogs, but did not win that game. They are 2-3 ATS overall, but K-State is 2-2 ATS, having lost to the spread in 2 straight weeks.
But expecting an outright Houston win, the plus odds on their ML is the better play.
PASS.
Over/Under
The Over has cashed in 4 of Houston's 5 games and in 1 of their 2 conference games.
The Over is 3-1 in the Wildcats' last 4 games.
BET OVER 55.5 (-105).
Betting odds calculator
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Houston Cougars at Kansas State Wildcats odds, picks and predictions
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