Kansas vs Texas 2019 College Football Week 8 Odds & Pick

Kansas vs Texas 2019 College Football Week 8 Odds & Pick

Written by on October 17, 2019

The somewhat rejuvenated Kansas Jayhawks head south this weekend to take on the Texas Longhorns in Austin in a Big 12 matchup. Kansas comes in at 2-4 but has lost three in a row, all against Big 12 opponents. They last played two weeks ago, at home against the Oklahoma Sooners, losing 45-20. They have lost their three Big 12 games by a combined 67 points, and things don’t get easier with a trip to Austin. Texas lost to those same Sooners at the old Cotton Bowl this past weekend, as a late rally fell somewhat short in a 34-27 setback that could prove to be a preview of the Big 12 Championship. Texas may have some frustrations to take out against one of the bottom-dwellers in Big 12 football — or they may come out so flat that Les Miles’ Jayhawks could pull off the upset, which even covering would represent. Check out our sports betting preview before you lock in your wagers on this game.

Kansas vs Texas 2019 College Football Week 8 Odds & Pick

When: Saturday, October 19, 7:00 pm ET Where: Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX TV: Longhorn Network Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network / Longhorn Radio Network Live Stream: CBS Sports App College Football Week 8 Odds: Texas -22 / O/U 62

Why should you bet on the Jayhawks?

One bright star for Kansas, even in this three-game skid, has been wideout Stephon Robinson Jr. Against Oklahoma, he caught five balls for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That was the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. Texas also showed some holes in their secondary at several points this season, so if Kansas can deliver pass protection, there should be opportunities to move the ball against the Longhorns. Indeed, Texas gives up 310 yards per game when it comes to passing defense, the fifth worst average in the game. So if the Longhorns take Kansas lightly, they could find themselves down a touchdown or two in the early going and then have to scramble to dig out of this hole. There are a lot of clues that this could be a trap game for Texas: coming after a tough loss, coming against an opponent they are likely to consider to be weak — but who has a new head coach and has shown a lot of innovation so far this season, even if that innovation has not paid off in conference play yet.

Why should you put your money on the Longhorns?

Kansas’ defensive weakness comes against the running game. They permit 221 yards of rushing offense per game, ninth most in the nation among FBS schools. Texas has a very balanced offensive attack, whether with quarterback Sam Ehlinger passing out of the pocket or the Longhorn tailbacks pounding the ball, and a team that is easy to rush on will eventually give up big plays, either on big runs or on a deep ball when that team finally sells out and loads the box. As an offensive unit, Texas has scored 39.3 points per game, picking up 455 yards per contest. They have permitted just 27.8 points per game, but they did allow 79 combined points to LSU and Oklahoma. The Kansas offense is not on par with that of the Tigers or the Sooners, though, so the Longhorns should be able to clamp down on the Kansas attack

Final Score Prediction

Texas has taken some big strides this year, but they still need to find a way to get defensive stops when they just have to have them. Against a team like Kansas, which has one of the great coaches in the game on their sideline but is still working on upgrading their talent levels, I see Texas coming out perhaps a little slow but then imposing their will on the game. I predict a final score of Texas 44, Kansas 17.