Football oddsmakers show respect to KU Jayhawks, K-State Wildcats ahead of Week 3
The Kansas State Wildcats are undefeated. So are the Kansas Jayhawks.
It has been a while since both Division I football teams in the Sunflower State began a season 2-0. The year was 2011, to be exact.
Vegas oddsmakers appear to have noticed. They gave flattering odds to both K-State and KU when opening lines were released Sunday ahead of Week 3.
K-State is favored by 20 points against Tulane on Saturday. The over/under points total for that game is at 54.5 inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. It was natural to assume the Wildcats would be favored over the Green Wave, but maybe not by almost three touchdowns.
Tulane is off to a 2-0 start with a pair of lopsided victories, albeit against inferior competition. The Green Wave has defeated Alcorn State 52-0 and Massachusetts 42-10.
Oddsmakers think K-State has a chance of reversing those scores this weekend. The Wildcats opened the year with a 34-0 victory over South Dakota and a 40-12 win over Missouri. Could another lopsided result be in the cards?
The Wildcats are 2-0 against the spread this season. Both of its games have finished under its projected total.
Kansas remains an underdog this week as it heads on the road for a challenging game against Houston. But only by single digits. The Cougars are favored by nine over the Jayhawks. The over/under for that game is set at 59.5.
Most of the time, when KU plays on the road against a notable team, it is a double-digit underdog. For example, it was a 13.5-point underdog on Saturday at West Virginia. But bettors may be willing to put a little trust in the Jayhawks after they pulled off an overtime victory over the Mountaineers.
Kansas has quietly covered the spread in five straight games, and won three of them.
The Missouri Tigers, who lost decisively to K-State in Manhattan over the weekend, will try to bounce back at home against Abilene Christian. No betting line has been set for that game. Odds are expected later in the week, because the game involves a FCS opponent.
This story was originally published September 11, 2022 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Football oddsmakers show respect to KU Jayhawks, K-State Wildcats ahead of Week 3."