Coming off a 9-4 campaign that concluded with a 28-19 win and cover as 3-point favorites against NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Kansas State Wildcats enter the 2024 College Football betting season as one of linemakers’ favorites to win the newly expanded Big 12 title. With Texas and Oklahoma no longer members of the conference, the Wildcats' odds of pulling off the feat are currently +372, second only to the new entrant Utah Utes +286. The program, along with CFB futures bettors, are being forced to bet into the highest win total odds of the Chris Klieman era, currently set at 9 with -135 vig on the over. The previous high was last year's 8-game impost, which they pushed. Despite losing key offensive playmakers and returning only seven of 11 starters from a strong defense, expectations remain high in the "Little Apple," for a team with serious College Football Playoff aspirations. So, are we betting on the over or under of their win total? Let's dig into the offseason and make an informed decision either way!
College Football Season Wins Odds
Kansas State Wildcats 2024-25 Regular Season Win Total Odds
Kansas State Over 9 Wins -135
Kansas State Under 9 Wins +115
A Case for the Over: It’s been a decade since K-State won enough games to cover its current win total, but expectations are high in Manhattan now that OU and Texas have left for the SEC. This opens the door for a new conference leader to emerge, and the Wildcats are well-positioned to seize the opportunity. With 11 starters returning from a nine-win team that has won eight or more games in four of the five seasons under the current coaching staff, K-State is a strong contender. Last year's four losses were all by a single score, and they won all but one home game, losing only the finale against Iowa State in a shootout (42-35) it went off the board as 10-point favorites per the closing CFB odds. Although the losses of Will Howard to the transfer portal and Ben Sinnott to the NFL are significant, the Wildcats still have a potent offense. They’re expected to march one of the most powerful ground games in the league onto the gridiron, with QB Avery Johnson and RB D.J. Giddens forming a dangerous 1-2 punch. While the offense returns only four starters, it has the potential to be vastly improved if the sophomore quarterback can handle the full-time load.
A Case for the Under: Last year’s defense was stout. Although it lacked a strong pass rush and gave up its fair share of yardage #59, it was incredibly tough to score against, allowing only 21.0 points per game (No. 29). Additionally, the defense excelled at taking the ball away, ranking No. 29 in forced turnovers. However, a significant question mark exists with the defensive line, which lost its best pass rusher, Khalid Duke (6 sacks). While Austin Moore anchors a veteran linebacker corps and the secondary returns many contributors to the Big 12’s No. 3 ranked pass defense, the Wildcats could struggle if they can't find new sources of pressure up front. Though K-State has routinely fielded solid defenses under the current coaching staff, this issue could prevent the Wildcats from exceeding their highest win total odds in 10 years.
2024-25 Kansas State Wildcats Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug 31 | vs. UT Martin |
| Sep 7 | at Tulane |
| Sep 13 | vs. Arizona |
| Sep 21 | at BYU |
| Sep 28 | vs. Oklahoma State |
| Oct 5 | OFF |
| Oct 12 | at Colorado |
| Oct 19 | at West Virginia |
| Oct 26 | vs. Kansas |
| Nov 2 | at Houston |
| Nov 9 | OFF |
| Nov 16 | vs. Arizona State |
| Nov 23 | vs. Cincinnati |
| Nov 30 | at Iowa State |
It seems easy to pencil in the Wildcats for at least 10 wins and a trip to the Big 12 title game, where they could secure a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. However, I believe the offense will miss Howard's veteran leadership during tough road trips to Provo, Morgantown, and Ames. The home grudge match against the Oklahoma State Cowboys won’t be a walk in the park either. Additionally, the Arizona Wildcats could potentially go into the house Bill Snyder built and pull the upset, despite linemakers favoring Kansas State by 7.5 points according to the current full-season CFB betting lines. Then there’s the Sunflower Showdown against the in-state rival Kansas Jayhawks, a team eager to end its dastard 15-game losing streak in the recent rivalry. There are simply too many potential pitfalls for this well-coached team to avoid to comfortably invest on the high side of what’s inarguably a lofty win total. Because of this, I'm hesitantly taking a flier on the under at a plus-money return, hoping everything doesn’t fall into place for the Wildcats right from the start.
College Football Win Total Prediction: Kansas State Wildcats Under 9 Wins
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