K-State Wildcats vs. OSU Cowboys: Big 12 basketball game time, TV, odds, prediction

The Kansas State men’s basketball team will try to end a long losing streak in road games when it takes on Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Big 12 action.

Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, including a score prediction:

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Stream: ESPN+

Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita

Betting line: Oklahoma State by 1.5

Over/under: 145.5

STARTING LINEUPS

About Oklahoma State (8-5, 0-2)

The Cowboys are off to a slow start in Big 12 play under new basketball coach Steve Lutz. Oklahoma State lost its conference opener against Houston 60-47 and followed that up with a 69-50 loss at West Virginia. The Cowboys have mostly beaten the bad teams on their schedule and lost to the good teams.

Bryce Thompson remains a steady contributor for Oklahoma State. He is averaging 9.5 points per game after staying with the Cowboys after a coaching change. But the Cowboys are not skilled on offense. They rely mostly on turnovers and offensive rebounds to score the bulk of their points. They are only shooting 31.3% from 3-point range and 48.1% from 2-point range.

About Kansas State (7-6, 1-1)

The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing loss at TCU in which they failed to score in the final 3 minutes, 14 seconds of game action. Jerome Tang’s team will look to close out this game in a more positive way.

K-State has played better over the past two games with Dug McDaniel in the starting lineup at point guard. Expect that to continue moving forward. It will be interesting to see how much the Wildcats choose to play Macaleab Rich. The sophomore guard can provide an offensive spark off the bench, but he is not a skilled defender. David N’Guessan leads the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game.

K-State game prediction

This is a game the Wildcats need to win.

On paper, a trip to Oklahoma State is the easiest road game on their Big 12 schedule. It would behoove them to take advantage. Things are about to get much harder with upcoming games against Houston, Texas Tech, Kansas, Baylor and West Virginia.

K-State does not want to enter that stretch with a losing conference record.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, there are many things about this matchup that seem to favor them.

Oklahoma State has struggled mightily in its first two conference games, especially on the offensive end. The Cowboys were unable to eclipse 50 points against Houston or West Virginia. K-State could also make things difficult for Oklahoma State. The Wildcats have played well on defense of late, holding Cincinnati to 67 points and TCU to 63 points.

Jerome Tang’s team is only allowing teams to make 35.2% of their shots from beyond the arc and 47.4% of shots from within the arc. The Wildcats have also rebounded well over their past two games. If that continues, it will be hard for Oklahoma State to score on Saturday.

Even though K-State lost its last game at TCU, it didn’t play poorly. This team has improved significantly since Dug McDaniel was added to the starting lineup. That gives the Wildcats a chance in a game like this.

K-State has lost 11 straight games on the road, but a half empty Gallagher-Iba Arena shouldn’t be worth all that many points for Oklahoma State. This seems like a good opportunity for the Wildcats to limit their turnovers and win a low-scoring game in Stillwater.

K-State 69, Oklahoma State 64

Last game prediction: TCU 72, K-State 67

Actual score: TCU 63, K-State 62

Season record: 8-5

Season record ATS: 4-9

Season record O/U: 7-6.

This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 12:00 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs. OSU Cowboys: Big 12 basketball game time, TV, odds, prediction."

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.