In a battle of two teams that prefer to run the football, Jayhawks (+14.5) are gearing up to greet their Big 12 counterpart Iowa State Cyclones (-14.5) in Kansas. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET and FSN will televise the action.
Iowa State Cyclones at Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview
In this Saturday Big 12 matchup, Iowa State is tabbed as the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 14.5 points. The Cyclones are also receiving -750 moneyline odds while the Jayhawks are +510. If one side can get out in front in the early stages it’ll create a nice live betting opportunity. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 52 points.
The profitable Cyclones have gained 3.9 units so far in 2018 and are 5-2 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U record of 3-4. The Jayhawks have lost 0.6 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 4-4 ATS and own an O/U record of 4-3.
The Cyclones have gone 4-3 straight up (SU), including 3-2 SU against conference opponents. The Jayhawks are 3-5 SU overall and are also 1-4 SU in conference play.
The Cyclones are coming off a 40-31 victory over Texas Tech last week. The passing game could’ve been sharper as Brock Purdy completed only 13-of-27 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. David Montgomery (125 rushing yards on 33 attempts, two TDs) and the signal-caller Purdy (47 yards on 14 carries) led the running attack in the win. Tarique Milton (seven receptions, 89 yards) and Hakeem Butler (four catches, 148 yards, one TD) shared the receiving duties.
Kansas enters this one after just getting a 27-26 win over TCU. The team’s defense allowed the Horned Frogs to pass for 351 yards while rushing for 153 yards and two scores. Jalen Reagor shredded the defense, putting up 177 yards on eight catches for TCU. For Kansas, Peyton Bender completed 19-of-29 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Khalil Herbert (38 rushing yards on 21 attempts, one TD) and Pooka Williams Jr. (33 yards on 11 carries) handled the ground game in the win while Williams Jr. (seven receptions, 102 yards, two TDs) and Stephon Robinson Jr. (four catches, 59 yards) led the pass-catching corps.
Iowa State’s run the ball on 55.1 percent of its offensive plays this year, including 57.8 percent across possessions in conference play. Kansas has an overall rush percentage of 52.5 percent, and has kept it on the ground 48.4 percent of the time against Big 12 opponents. The Cyclones have produced 130 rush yards/game (including 152 per game against Big 12 opponents) and have eight touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Jayhawks are putting up 143 rushing yards per game (94 in conference) and have nine total rush TDs.
It seems like the Cyclones ought to hold an edge when it comes to applying pressure, as their offensive line has yielded only 19 sacks while the D-line registered 26 sacks. The Jayhawks offensive line has given up 29 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing QBs just 19 times.
The Cyclones offense has averaged 239 yards in the air overall (254 per game against conference opposition) and has 13 passing scores so far. The Jayhawks have put up 194 pass yards per contest (214.4 in the Big 12) and have 14 total pass TDs.
Iowa State appears to hold the upper hand in both defensive facets. The team’s let opponents run for an average of 99 yards and throw for 224 yards per game. The Kansas defense has given up 267.0 yards per game to opposing passers and 166.0 yards per game to opposing runners. The Cyclones are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.40 to opposing QBs, while the Jayhawks have given up a 6.53 ANY/A.
Offensively, Purdy is up to 568 passing yards on the year, and has connected on 62 percent of his 50 attempts with six passing scores and only one interception. Purdy’s got a sparkling 11.04 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 9.82 over the last two games.
Peyton Bender has managed to complete 88-of-143 passes for 930 yards, eight TDs and one INT for Kansas. His ANY/A stands at 5.94 for the season and 6.11 over his past two outings.
These two schools met a year ago with the final outcome being a 45-0 win for Iowa State.
RELATED: Week 10 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
Free Pick: Iowa State Cyclones vs. Kansas Jayhawks
SU Winner – Iowa State, ATS Winner – Iowa State, O/U – Under
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Notes
Team Betting Trends
The O/U for Iowa State’s previous game going into it was 58. The over cashed in the team’s 40-31 triumph over Texas Tech.
Iowa State has averaged 4.1 yards per carry over its last three games and 4.2 over its last two.
Kansas has averaged 2.4 yards per carry over its last three outings and only 2.2 over its past two.
Kansas has lost four fumbles this season while Iowa State has let six get away.
Over its last three contests, Iowa State is 3-0 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The Over/Under for Kansas’ last match was set at 47. The over cashed in the 27-26 win over TCU.
Over its last three matches, Kansas is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The Cyclones offense has created eight pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Jayhawks have accounted for one such play.
The Iowa State defense has allowed four pass plays of 40+ yards, while Kansas has given up six such plays.
The Iowa State offense has created nine rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Kansas has created 16 such runs.
The Cyclones defense has allowed five rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Jayhawks have given up nine such runs.
The Iowa State defense has 22 sacks on the year while Kansas has just 13.
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