Kansas State vs Colorado Prediction, Odds, Top Picks: College Football Week 9 Betting Preview

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The Kansas State Wildcats take on the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. EDT on TNT.

Kansas State is favored by -2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -132. The total is set at 47.5 points.

Here’s my Kansas State vs. Colorado prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 31, 2026.

• Kansas State vs. Colorado Pick: Colorado +2.5 (Play to -1.5)

My Colorado vs. Kansas State best bet is on Colorado to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page and be sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis.

Kansas State vs Colorado Odds, Spread, Lines

• Kansas State vs Colorado Spread: Kansas State -3, Colorado +3
• Kansas State vs Colorado Over/Under: 46.5
• Kansas State vs Colorado Moneyline: Kansas State ML -148, Colorado ML +124

Kansas State is in trouble here without starting quarterback Avery Johnson, who did so much for this offense with both his arm and legs.

Despite missing last game, he still remains the Wildcats’ leading rusher on the season while averaging an insane 9.1 yards per attempt.

Kansas State will also be without backup quarterback Jacob Knuth, who got the start last week at Arizona State. That leaves Blake Barnett (who has attempted only five career passes vs. Nicholls State) and Dillon Duff, who have also both been dealing with injuries.

Head coach Collin Klein even suggested they were potentially going to need to use an emergency quarterback in Tempe last week, which would have been running back Joe Jackson, who also got banged up last week.

It’s an absolute mess. Barnett can run a bit, so I’d expect Kansas State to lean into the ground game, but that’s playing right into the hands of Colorado‘s defense, which ranks ninth nationally in EPA Per Rush allowed.

The Buffs have been vulnerable against opposing aerial attacks, but Kansas State has one of the least explosive passing offenses in the country, even with Johnson at the helm. I just don’t think the Wildcats can exploit the obvious holes of Colorado’s stop unit.

Lastly, Colorado has played a much tougher slate to date. Per Sagarin, the Buffaloes have played the 12th-most difficult schedule through eight weeks, while Kansas State ranks 70th in that department.

In October alone, Colorado has played Oklahoma State, Utah and Texas Tech, with the latter two coming at home in games it actually won the box score:

• vs. Utah: +2 net yards per play in a 3-point loss
• vs. Texas Tech: 375-314 yardage edge but failed on three fourth-down attempts with a -4 turnover margin

And prior to that, Colorado played road games against Baylor, Northwestern and Georgia Tech. This will certainly be a step down in class for Coach Prime’s pack.

This is a tough spot for the Wildcats, who will head to altitude for their second straight West Coast road game with major quarterback uncertainty and a poor matchup on paper.

As long as Isaac Wilson doesn’t turn the ball over too much (which is certainly a possibility), the Buffaloes should win this game, as their offense has moved the ball significantly better since making the change at quarterback.

Pick: Colorado +2.5 (Play to -1.5)