Kansas vs. Kansas State prediction, pick, odds, spread, where to watch live

No. 14 Kansas will be looking to get back on track Saturday against rival Kansas State as both teams close the regular season with a heated in-state showdown. The Jayhawks (21-9, 11-6 Big 12) won the first meeting 86-62 on Jan. 24 back when things were going well. Now, as KU prepares to host the Wildcats (12-18, 3-14), it is struggling through a late-season rough patch.

Kansas’ first win over K-State came amid an eight-game winning streak that saw Kansas surge into the top-10 of the AP poll. But the Jayhawks have dropped four of their past six games and are at risk of slipping off the No. 4 seed line in CBS Sports Bracketology with a loss Saturday. 

All four of the Jayhawks’ losses since mid-January have come by 10+ points, underscoring the inconsistency of a team that is talented enough to contend with anyone but unpredictable enough to also take ugly defeats.

Tuesday’s 70-60 loss at Arizona State was the latest head-scratching result for KU, especially since it marked the fourth straight contest in which Darryn Peterson logged 30+ minutes. Even with the star freshman playing more consistently than before, the Jayhawks haven’t been able to find a steady groove. Perhaps playing a poor Kansas State team will be the antidote Kansas needs to reset the vibes entering the Big 12 Tournament.  

Kansas vs. Kansas State: Need to know

Darryn Peterson drama: Kansas freshman star Darryn Peterson is finally finishing games after a season-long saga surrounding his availability. The only problem is that his increased workload is not translating to good results for Kansas. Peterson has logged 30-plus minutes in four straight games for the first time all season, but the Jayhawks are just 1-3 in those games. The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is shooting just 32.9% from the floor over those four games. If KU is going to contend for the Big 12 Tournament title and make a deep NCAA Tournament run, it needs the best version of Peterson.

Big 12 Tournament seeding: A Kansas victory would secure a double-bye in next week’s Big 12 Tournament. That would mean opening play on Thursday in the quarterfinals with a three-game path to the tournament title. KU last won the Big 12 Tournament in 2022. Entering the weekend, the CBS Sports Bracketology model gives the Jayhawks a 13% chance of cutting down the nets in Kansas City. Arizona (35.1%) and Houston (27%) are the two teams the model favors.

Kansas State’s nightmare season: Kansas State found a brief reprieve from its nightmare of a season on Tuesday with a 65-63 win over West Virginia on Senior Night. That was a nice moment for the Wildcats, who fired coach Jerome Tang for cause in February amid a 10-15 (1-11 Big 12) start. It’s been a horrible season for a proud program, but K-State does have the Big 12’s second-leading scorer in PJ Haggerty. The Memphis transfer averages 23.3 points per game and spends a lot of time at the free-throw line. Kansas will have its hands full with Haggerty.

Where to watch Kansas vs. Kansas State live

Date: Saturday, March 7 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Allen Fieldhouse — Lawrence, Kansas
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Streaming on Paramount+ Premium  

Kansas vs. Kansas State prediction, pick

Kansas is coming off a brutal swing through Arizona that saw the Jayhawks go 0-2 with losses by a combined 33 points. But don’t get fooled into thinking the Jayhawks are bad enough to be challenged by Kansas State at home. KU won the first meeting by 24 on the road and should have no problem matching that margin on Senior Day inside Allen Fieldhouse. This is the ideal “get right” spot for Kansas entering the Big 12 Tournament, and the Jayhawks should roll to an authoritative victory. Pick: Kansas -17

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