The Kansas Jayhawks take on the UCF Knights in Orlando, FL, on Saturday, Oct. 4. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Kansas is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -210. UCF, meanwhile, enters as a +4.5 underdog and comes in at +170 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 54.5 total points.
Here’s my Kansas vs. UCF prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 4.
Kansas vs UCF Prediction
- Kansas vs. UCF Pick: Kansas -5.5
My UCF vs. Kansas best bet is on the Jayhawks to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Kansas vs UCF Odds
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | -200 |
| UCF Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | +170 |
- Kansas vs UCF Spread: Kansas -4.5, UCF +4.5
- Kansas vs UCF Over/Under: 54.5 Points
- Kansas vs UCF Moneyline: Kansas -210, UCF +170
Kansas vs UCF College Football Betting Preview
Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview: Numbers on the Board
Very few teams, if any, in America have bigger splits on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball than Kansas.
This team is absolutely elite on offense and can score it with the best of them in the country. The Jayhawks haven't put up fewer than 31 points in any of their five games this season, three of which came against Power 4 opponents.
A main reason for the early success? The play of veteran quarterback Jalon Daniels.
Daniels has been a dynamic highlight reel since he first set foot in Lawrence four years ago. But this year, he's really showing his experience. He's thrown 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions and is playing the best football of his career by far.
On the other side of the ball, it's been the exact opposite.
The Jayhawks' two losses have come in back-and-forth affairs to Missouri and Cincinnati. In each game, the offense did more than enough to win.
The Bearcats went for over 604 yards of total offense, and Mizzou went for 595. It's unfortunate for the Jayhawks because with just one or two more stops in each game, this team would be 5-0 and inside the top 20 in the country.
While there are major holes across the board in this unit, the UCF attack is not quite as high-powered as either Missouri or Cincinnati.
The Jayhawks need to do a better job of limiting big plays and have to get off the field more on third down.
I expect Daniels and the offense to feast again here, so just a few more stops should allow Kansas to create a margin.
UCF Knights Betting Preview: Looking to Bounce Back
Scott Frost is back on a campus where he has plenty of great memories. It was a very positive nonconference campaign for Frost and the Knights in his first season back as the head man.
UCF went 3-0 out of league, most notably blasting North Carolina by 25 points at the Bounce House.
Through the first four games of the 2025 season, UCF’s offense has shown promise and has been pretty balanced.
The Knights are averaging 437.5 yards per game with a pretty healthy split coming through the air and on the ground.
Indiana transfer quarterback Tayven Jackson has done a nice job leading the offense and is completing around 70 % of his passes for 809 yards through four games.
Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon form a formidable duo in the backfield, with each having some home-run potential with the ball in their hands.
The start to Big 12 play was not as promising with the Knights defense getting gashed for 434 yards in a 34-20 road loss to Kansas State.
KSU running back Dylan Edwards averaged over 8 yards per carry, and the UCF front had zero answers for him. That's a worrying sign for this week when facing a Kansas rushing attack with plenty of firepower, including at the QB position.
Avery Johnson used his legs to make plays out of the pocket, and Daniels can definitely do the same.
To pull off the upset at home, the Knights will need to get more of a push from their front four and contain the big-play ability of Daniels and company.
Kansas vs UCF Pick, Betting Analysis
It was a disappointing loss last week for the Jayhawks, but I trust Lance Leipold to have his team ready to go for this one and not let one loss turn into two.
UCF will not have any answers for Daniels and the explosive KU offense.
Yes, the Knights should be able to score plenty when they have the ball, but they don't possess the type of offensive consistency to go blow-for-blow with Kansas in this matchup.
Look for the Jayhawks to distance themselves in the second half and keep their foot on the gas throughout in Orlando.
I'm rolling with Rock Chalk to win and cover on the road.
Pick: Kansas -5.5
