The No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats (10-3) will take on the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Kansas State vs. Alabama odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
Alabama defeated Auburn 49-27 in its last game of the season to cover as 21.5-point favorites. The Crimson Tide had losses to LSU and Tennessee this season that prevented them from advancing to the College Football Playoffs.
Kansas State secured a 31-28 overtime win over TCU in the team’s final game of the regular season to cover as 1-point favorites. The Wildcats finished the regular season on a 4-game winning streak.
Stream select live college football games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Kansas State vs. Alabama odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 6:24 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Kansas State +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Alabama -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Kansas State +6.5 (-109) | Alabama -6.5 (-111)
- Over/Under (O/U): 56.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Kansas State vs. Alabama picks and predictions
Prediction
Alabama 38, Kansas State 24
Moneyline
Even though Alabama is favored in this contest, AVOID the moneyline in this game. I wouldn’t advise taking Alabama to win straight up at the current odds as you’ll get a minimal return if the Crimson Tide secure the victory.
Against the spread
ALABAMA -6.5 (-111) is the way to go as the Crimson Tide look to finish the season strong. Alabama will have the majority of its starters available, despite a few players sitting out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Over/Under
Alabama may try to make a statement on Saturday that they deserved to be in the College Football Playoffs, so OVER 56.5 (-110) is where I’m leaning. With QB Bryce Young looking to cement himself as the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft, I expect a big game from the talented signal-caller.
The Over is 7-0 in Alabama’s last 7 games when the team allowed 200-plus rushing yards in its previous game. Meanwhile, Kansas State has gone over in 5 of its last 6 games after allowing 450-plus yards of offense in its previous game.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this game or any other NCAA football matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in OH, CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Skyler Carlin on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]