College Football Game Lines – Wounded Big 12 North Rivals Aim For Renewal

TheKansas State Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks both got lit up on the college football betting game in their most recent games.

Fighting for bowl eligibility and Big 12 North survival, they meet on Thursday night.

Kansas State Wildcats @ Kansas Jayhawks

Thursday, October 14th – 7:35 PM ET

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Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS

Broadcast: FSN

College Football Game Lines: Kansas State -3, Kansas +3

The last time Kansas State and Kansas stepped on a gridiron, these Sunflower State rivals got smoked. Kansas State lost 48-13 at home to Nebraska, as the Wildcats allowed Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez to run for a whopping 241 yards, the highest total of rushing yards for any Nebraska quarterback.

Yes, Kansas State’s defense was historically bad on the night of October 7.

For Kansas, the outlook wasn’t any better. Coach Turner Gill’s club fell face-first into the mud, humiliating itself with a listless 55-7 loss at Baylor. The Jayhawks were no match for the Bears, whose quarterback, Robert Griffin, annihilated KU by throwing for 380 yards and three touchdown passes while running for a fourth score.

Baylor amassed 678 yards of total offense en route to the 48-point romp. Kansas has been taken apart by talented quarterbacks all season long, and with half of the season left to play, the Jayhawks have to find some answers on the defensive side of the ball. Who will right the ship in this bragging-rights ballgame?

College Football Game Lines: What Kansas State Has To Do To Win

The Wildcats have the best and most significant player in this game, running back Daniel Thomas. KSU’s meal-ticket running back has rolled for nearly 700 yards this season (691 to be precise), and he gives coach Bill Snyder a powerful workhorse who can lean on Kansas’ defensive line in the third and fourth quarters.

If Kansas State can establish Thomas early but also develop enough of a passing game to keep Kansas’ defense honest, the Wildcats will generate the balance they need to put the Jayhawks on a pendulum. Snyder can then open up the playbook in tandem with offensive coordinator Dana Dimel, and the tempo of this tilt will shift in Kansas State’s direction.

College Football Game Lines: What Kansas Has To Do To Win

If the Jayhawks are to respond to the Baylor blowout with a victory against K-State, they’ll have to make substantial across-the-board improvements. Priority number one will be to take away Daniel Thomas and make KSU’s shaky starting quarterback, Carson Coffman, beat KU through the air.

Coffman has completed only 60 passes to this point in the season for an average of 146 passing yards per game. Coffman needs to be able to throw the ball for K-State to be truly effective, so if Kansas can stop Thomas on first down and create third-and-long for Coffman, the Jayhawks can maneuver this game to a place where they can enjoy an advantage.

College Football Game Lines: Outlook & Pick

Neither one of these teams has a good quarterback or a fast defense; they’re evenly matched for less-than-stellar reasons. The difference is Thomas, the best player on the field. Kansas State has him and Kansas doesn’t. The Wildcats will top the Jayhawks on Thursday night.

College Football Game Lines Pick: Kansas State -3