Two rivals in dire need of a bounce-back victory will square off Saturday on CBS as No. 9 Kansas hosts Kansas State in the first of two meetings between the in-state foes. The Jayhawks have won 18 straight at Allen Fieldhouse against the Wildcats and have won 27 of 28 home games in the series since the Big 8 became the Big 12 in the 1996-97 season.
K-State (7-9, 1-4 Big 12) has just one victory over a power conference opponent — a 70-67 home win over Cincinnati on Dec. 30 — and has struggled offensively in coach Jerome Tang’s third season. The most recent defeat was a 61-57 loss to Texas Tech on Tuesday in which the Wildcats made just one shot from the floor over the game’s final nine minutes.
The Wildcats rank 14th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 with 62.4 points per game in conference action. The Jayhawks (12-4, 3-2) have some offensive problems, too, as they’ve failed to reach 60 points in their past two games.
Though Kansas has plenty of issues to sort through, it still enters the weekend as a projected No. 3 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm’s projected NCAA Tournament field. With nonconference victories over North Carolina, Michigan State and Duke, the Jayhawks have flashed their high-end potential on numerous occasions. But in each of their four losses, they have been held under 70 points.
How to watch Kansas vs. Kansas State live
Date: Saturday, January 18 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Allen Fieldhouse — Lawrence, Kansas
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Kansas vs. Kansas State prediction, picks
All odds via SportsLine consensus
After a 17-point loss at Iowa State on Wednesday, Kansas returns home with some frustration to let out. The last time the Jayhawks played a clunker — losing at home to undermanned West Virginia on Dec. 31 — they responded by thumping UCF 99-48 in their next game. Kansas might not beat Kansas State by 51, but it should have no problem laying a whooping on the reeling Wildcats. Look for Kansas to bounce back with an authoritative win. Pick: Kansas -16
Who will win and cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine to get picks from the model that simulates each game 10,000 times and is up more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated spread picks the past six years.
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