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The Kansas Jayhawks take on the TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
TCU is favored by -5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -230. Kansas, meanwhile, enters as a +5.5 underdog and is +185 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 45.5 total points.
Here’s my Kansas vs. TCU prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 31.
Kansas vs TCU Prediction
- Kansas vs. TCU Pick: Under 45.5
My TCU vs. Kansas best bet is on the under. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page and make sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis.
Kansas vs TCU Odds
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -106 | 45.5 -110o / -110u | +172 |
| TCU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -114 | 45.5 -110o / -110u | -210 |
- Kansas vs TCU point spread: TCU -5.5 (-114), Kansas +5.5 (-106)
- Kansas vs TCU over/under: 45.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Kansas vs TCU moneyline: Kansas +172, TCU -210
Kansas vs TCU College Football Preview
Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview: Trying to Build Momentum
It’s been a trying season for the Jayhawks, but last week was a fun one.
Kansas secured its first Big 12 win of the season after going band-for-band with Baylor. What started out as a 7-7 game heading into the second half, both teams exploded with 35 combined points.
It also helped that in the final minute of play, Baylor attempted a field goal to pull ahead, but Blake Herold put the kibosh on that with a block.
Even though quarterback Isaiah Marshall threw two picks, he still had a positive effect on the game. Marshall threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns to Nik McMillan and Carson Bruhn, while also running in the end zone himself.
Passing the pill hasn’t exactly been Kansas’ forte, as Marshall is still enduring some growing pains. But you can see the potential. Kansas can run off explosive plays through the air, and it does it at a high level.
But running the ball has gotten the Jayhawks far. Dylan Edwards has bounced around the Big 12 but has done a lot of damage on the ground. Last week, he ran for 156 yards on 30 carries, which is on par with his 5.1 yards per carry.
But how about this defense? Kansas has been generating Havoc on 17.1% of snaps, with the 34th-ranked Success Rate allowed in standard down metrics. Linebacker Bam Crouch has been the driving force of this defense, posting 10 tackles and a sack last week
While Kansas hasn’t been particularly strong against the run, though, TCU’s run game is worse. The Horned Frogs average a paltry 2.4 rushing yards per carry.
TCU Horned Frogs Betting Preview: All Arms, No Legs
TCU, by trade, is a passing team.
That’s what the Horned Frogs like to do. You can see how bad their run game is. Why wouldn’t you want to pass?
Quarterback Jaden Craig has been slinging it all season, for better or worse. He has turned the ball over six times, and his offensive line doesn’t do a very good job at protecting him, but he’s still completing 67% of his passes on 240 attempts.
And he has a lot of high-end options to throw to. Wide receivers Ed Small and Kari Ashley have been critical pieces to this offense, but the best thing that could’ve happened to this offense was the return of Jordan Dwyer.
Dwyer opens up this offense by a country mile. Since coming back on Sept. 26, Dwyer is averaging 121 yards per game. He also has tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton, who has been a red-zone threat with four touchdowns.
However, the problem is that this offense is pretty anemic. Despite Craig being a volume passer, that can be his own weakness. With how brutal the run game is, defenses know what to look for.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Frogs have been dominant. And if it weren’t for a horrible scoring offense, this team would’ve been a prime contender for a Big 12 Championship.
TCU is in the top 10 in points allowed per game, allowing just 15, but it doesn’t help that it scores 16.8 points per game.
Kansas vs TCU Pick, Betting Analysis
This game’s total being at 45.5 is being way too generous.
I can’t for the life of me envision Kansas scoring a bunch of points on this defense. The Jayhawks are good, but Marshall isn't savvy enough to dissect the Frogs’ defense.
Additionally, TCU’s offense can’t generate anything.
The Frogs have only had one game go over 45.5 points, and that was against Grambling State. They typically force opposing teams to play their style of game. That's ugly, low-down football.
Pick: Under 45.5
