Troy vs Kansas State Prediction & Picks: Can the Trojans Challenge the Wildcats in Manhattan?

In their two decades in Division I-A/the FBS, Troy has had a reputation for upsets and near-upsets of power conference programs.

From winning at Mississippi State in 2001, their first season at the top level of college football, to most recently winning at LSU in 2017, the Trojans have been a thorn in the side of many a notable name.

Will another upset be added to the list this Saturday? The Trojans visit #15 Kansas State (12:00 pm ET, FS1) in what is one of the top matchups on the Week 2 college football schedule.

Last season, the Wildcats were upset at home by Tulane, who went on to have a memorable season. This could serve as a similar springboard for the Trojans, who are favored to win the Sun Belt this season and received votes in this week’s AP poll.

Troy vs Kansas State Odds

Odds are via Bovada.

Spread

• Troy +17 (-115)
• Kansas State -17 (-105)

Over/Under

• Over 50.5 (-105)
• Under 50.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Troy +550
• Kansas State -850

Trojans Must Play to Their Strengths to Test Wildcats

When Tulane won 17-10 in Manhattan last season, the Green Wave held the Wildcats without a point in the second half and won despite not playing anything resembling the kind of near-perfect performance often needed for such upsets.

Perhaps Kansas State overlooked Tulane, but they won’t be taking Troy lightly.

The Trojans have one of the better defenses that the Wildcats will face all season, and they have a standout running back in Kimani Vidal, who can churn out yards and drain time off of the clock.

Both of those strengths were on display in last week’s 48-30 win over Stephen F. Austin.

The Trojans held the Lumberjacks to just 240 yards and took an interception to the house in the first half, and Vidal ran for a career-high 248 yards on 25 carries and had two catches for 54 yards.

It wasn’t all roses for the Trojans, as they did commit four turnovers, three of which were fumbles. That contributed to the game being less of a blowout than it could and should have been, and they can’t be so generous this week.

If Troy can play a clean game, it’s hard to see Kansas State covering the spread.

The Wildcats are a very, very good football team, but so are the Trojans, and if Troy can find a foothold with their rushing attack, which racked up 342 yards on 42 attempts against Stephen F. Austin, they can limit how much time their defense has to spend on the field.

Troy vs Kansas State Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Kansas State to win

Picks: Troy +17 & Troy/Kansas State under 50.5

Stout defense and a strong ground game can take you a long way, and even if the Trojans are unable to add to the program’s list of memorable wins, I think they will at least be able to cover and do their part to help the under cash.

Where to Bet on Troy vs Kansas State

Most top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of college football odds throughout the season.

In addition to being able to make weekly college football picks all the way from Week Zero to the College Football Playoff National Championship, you can also bet on Heisman Trophy odds, conference championship odds, win totals, and much more.

Along with Bovada, where the Troy vs Kansas State odds in this article are from, there are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for college football betting.

Below are some of the other books that we highly recommend:

• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.