K-State Wildcats vs. KU Jayhawks: Preview, score prediction for Sunflower Showdown
The Kansas State men’s basketball team will try to bounce back from a four-game losing skid when the Wildcats play host to the KU Jayhawks on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.
Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, plus a score prediction:
When: 8 p.m. Monday
Where: Bramlage Coliseum (Manhattan)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: Kansas by 5.5
Over/Under: 143.5
KU at K-State score prediction
Believe it or not, K-State might be getting KU at a good time.
Things are never as good or bad as they appear in the Big 12. Just when you leave a struggling team for dead, it tends to respond with an unexpected victory. Just when you start to think a red-hot team can’t lose, it suffers an unexpected loss.
That is one of the main reasons why there is so much parity in the conference standings this season. Houston and Kansas have risen to first place at 6-3, but they aren’t running away with the league race. A small army of teams are teetering a game above or below .500 in league play behind them.
With that in mind, it might help the Wildcats to play the Jayhawks as Bill Self’s team is coming off an incredible week of basketball wins. KU trounced Oklahoma State at home and then followed that up with a statement victory over Houston in which it made nearly 70% of its shots on Saturday.
No one will beat the Jayhawks if they continue to play at that level. But they might be due for a letdown. KU clearly took its home game personally against Houston. No one in Lawrence appreciated that the Cougars were the betting favorites in that contest. The Jayhawks played with something to prove as a rare underdog.
They will need to find other sources of motivation in the Sunflower Showdown. KU is a road favorite against K-State. And few are going to be calling for an upset given that the Wildcats have lost four consecutive games.
No one will be shocked if KU comes out sluggish 48 hours after a massive win.
Maybe that will help K-State.
Kansas has not played well on the road this season. It is just 1-3 on the road in conference plays, with its only win coming at Oklahoma State. The Wildcats will benefit from a terrific home-court advantage in this rivalry game.
This game also means much more to the Wildcats than it does the Jayhawks. K-State needs a big win to save its season and give fans a reason to feel optimistic about what might come next. But it’s far from must-win for KU.
Given the benefit of motivation and home court, K-State should be able to make this a competitive game.
Question is: can the Wildcats snap out of their recent slump in enough time to pull off an upset?
Stranger things have happened. Last year, K-State was coming off an 82-68 loss at TCU when KU came to town. The Wildcats played much better against the Jayhawks and won 83-82 in overtime.
If Tylor Perry, Cam Carter or Arthur Kaluma can heat up from 3-point range, and the Wildcats play strong defense in the paint, then they will have a chance. Problem is, those things haven’t been happening lately for K-State.
Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams will also make for difficult matchups inside.
All things considered, I think this sets up as a narrow victory for the Jayhawks.
KU 75, K-State 70
Last game prediction: K-State 65, Oklahoma State 59. (Actual result: Oklahoma State 75, K-State 72)
Season Record: 18-4
Season Record ATS: 11-11
Season Record O/U: 16-6
