Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Kansas State Wildcats Betting Odds and Pick

Oklahoma State is 4-1 straight up in its last five meetings with Kansas State, but the Wildcats are 4-1 against the spread over that span. K-State also leads the Big 12 at the moment at 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in conference play, while the Cowboys cling to life at 3-2 SU, 1-4 ATS. Border rivals clash when Kansas State and Oklahoma State meet Saturday night in Manhattan.

Point spread: Wildcats opened as 12.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (line updates and matchup report).

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 28.7-23.4 Wildcats

Why the Oklahoma State Cowboys can cover the spread

The Cowboys had won five in a row following their season-opening loss to Florida State, but they have found the going tougher the last two weeks, losing at TCU 42-9 and at home to West Virginia 34-10. Oklahoma State only trailed the Mountaineers by a touchdown heading into the fourth quarter but came up empty from there. For the game the Cowboys only got outgained by 12 yards.

Oklahoma State knew it might go through a rebuilding process this season, with just eight starters back from last year, and lost its starting quarterback for the season to injury back in Week 2. But if they could just get a little better play at quarterback, the Cowboys could stay in this one.

Why the Kansas State Wildcats can cover the spread

The Wildcats have won four games in a row SU and five in a row ATS after shutting out Texas last week 23-0. Kansas State nearly doubled up the Longhorns in total yardage, ran the ball 43 times for 143 yards and won time of possession by a lopsided 39-21 margin, covering the spread as a nine-point favorite to improve its ATS mark to 5-2. Senior quarterback Jake Waters has now gone four games without throwing a pick.

The Wildcats have outgained five of seven opponents this season and outrushed five of seven foes by an average of 79 yards per game. And that's a figure usually conducive to covering spreads.

Smart pick

Bill Snyder's teams are almost always good bets because of his style and generalship. His teams are always ready to play. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State might be going through a down season. So while the spread on this game is rather large for this series, the smart money should go with the better team in this spot, giving the points.

Betting trends

• Oklahoma State is 4-1 SU in its last five games when playing Kansas State
• Kansas State is 5-0 ATS in its last five games

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.