Troy vs. Kansas State Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
Troy is coming off of one of their best years in school history as they finished 12-2 last season and defeated UTSA in a bowl game. Can they put together a solid performance this week against Kansas State? Let's break it down.
Joey Ruiz - September 9, 2023, 8:30 AM EDT
7 minTroy vs. Kansas State Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
The Troy Trojans had a season for the books last season in 2022 as they finished the year with a 12-2 record and their only losses came in Week 1 on the road to Ole Miss (where they covered) and then in Week 3 on the road against Appalachian State (where they lost on a hail mary on the final play).
Troy vs. Kansas State Date, Start Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 9, 2023
- Game Time: 12 pm ET
- Where to Watch: FS1
Troy vs. Kansas State Odds
- Spread: Kansas State -17 (-110), Troy +17 (-110)
- Total Odds: O 51 (-110), U 51 (-106)
- Moneyline Odds: Kansas State (-800), Troy (+590)
Troy vs. Kansas State Prediction
Troy really should have finished the season 13-1 with 13 straight wins if it wasn't for that hail mary, and it was one of the most successful seasons in the FBS last year by a group of 5 teams. Fast forward to this season, and Troy returns an abundance of talent from last year's squad, most importantly their starting quarterback and running back.
Gunnar Watson is back at the helm for the Trojans, as this is now his sixth total year at the school and his fourth as the starting quarterback. Watson isn't going to throw for 400+ yards every game, but he has a lot of experience and can make all the throws on the field. In his career, Watson has tallied just under 7,000 yards and 42 touchdowns compared to just 24 interceptions, so he has been a productive quarterback during his time as the Troy starter.
In the backfield, Troy also returns Kimani Vidal, who went off in Week 1 against Stephen F. Austin. Vidal rushed for 248 yards on 25 carries, averaging just under 10 yards a tote for an absolute monster performance. He also chipped in with 54 receiving yards to cap off a monster day. In his career, Vidal has rushed for just under 2600 yards rushing, 553 receiving yards, and 19 total rushing touchdowns. Vidal has averaged 5.1 yards per carry in his career and is a very explosive but powerful back who can run in between the tackles but also has the explosive speed to break big runs on the outside.
In Week 1 against FCS Stephen F. Austin, Troy came away with a 48-30 win, and if you just look at the final box score, you may think this is a down year for the Troy defense, but that does not tell the whole story. Troy turned the ball over four times, including three lost fumbles, which is a complete anomaly, and lost the turnover battle 4-1. Troy gained a total of 540 yards on offense and only allowed 240; they outgained SFA by 300 yards and still somehow allowed 30 points.
Troy only allowed 3.7 yards per carry and were an elite defensive group last season, and I fully expect them to rectify their fumble troubles heading into this ranked matchup with Kansas State. Kansas State also finds themselves in a similar position as last season. They opened last season with two resounding wins and then played a relatively unknown but talented Tulane team and were around 17-point favorites at home. Tulane did the unthinkable and went into Manhattan, Kansas, and notched the upset.
Fast forward to this season, and Kansas State started the season with a resounding 45-0 win and now have to play a fairly unknown but talented Troy team who returns nearly all of their key players, and Kansas State is favored by around 17 points. This is a very precarious spot for the Wildcats, and I think they may be on upset watch today. With that being said, I am rolling with Troy +17 at -110 for 2U as my most confident College Football play of the day for today's action.
Troy vs. Kansas State Pick
2U Troy +17 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbooks has the best odds for this pick
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