Texas Bowl Betting Preview
The second to last FBS game of the year pits Kansas State against what is left of the LSU program.
Texas Bowl
LSU (6–6) vs Kansas State (7–5)
Tuesday, 9pm, ESPN
Kansas State -7.5/Total 47.5
Head to FanDuel Sportsbook to take advantage of your $1,000 risk-free bet
The second to last FBS game of the season takes place on Tuesday as LSU and Kansas State head to Houston for the Texas Bowl.LSU had to win its final two games of the year against Louisiana-Monroe and Texas A&M to get bowl eligible. Kansas State lost its final two games against Baylor and Texas. You’d think momentum would be on LSU’s side, but that’s not exactly the case. A lot of teams are short-handed during bowl season, but LSU has taken it to extreme levels.
LSU isn’t sure who is going to play quarterback. That seems less than ideal going into a game. Due to injuries and transfers, LSU had two quarterbacks this season. Max Johnson was the starter, but transferred to Texas A&M at the end of the regular season leaving Garrett Nussmeier as the only scholarship quarterback available for the bowl game. The problem is Nussmeier played in the maximum number of games to maintain his redshirt status for next year and LSU was denied a special waiver to keep that status intact by the NCAA. Freshman walk ons Matt O’Dowd and Tavion Faulk are listed on the depth chart as options to play quarterback and there’s speculation receiver Jontre Kirklin could get some snaps too having played quarterback in high school. LSU also lost leading rusher Tyrion Davis-Price who declared for the draft. Corey Kiner ran for 271 yards this season and will be the lead back against a K-State defense that was fairly stingy against the run. LSU’s leading tackler Damone Clark opted out of the bowl game. LSU’s second leading tackler Micah Baskerville just isn’t on the depth chart…I can go on and on, but you get the picture.
Kansas State will get a boost with the return of quarterback Skylar Thompson who got hurt against Baylor and missed the Texas game. Thompson isn’t a dynamic passer, he threw for 1,854 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions, but he’s experienced and much more efficient than the other options the Wildcats have. K-State doesn’t need Thompson to be a great thrower because they have one of the most versatile offensive weapons in college football in Deuce Vaughn. Vaughn is only 5’6, but he ran for 1,258 yards and led the team in receptions with 47. He’s the engine that makes that offense go. Kansas State is solid defensively. They only give up 3.6 yards per carry and the 12 passing touchdowns they allowed are the fewest in the Big 12 (albeit in two fewer games than Baylor). Coach Chris Klieman came from North Dakota State and generally speaking the Wildcats fit the profile of an NDSU team.
There logically is no reason not to back Kansas State in this spot. Generally, LSU’s roster is going to be much more talented, but they’re down to something like 40 scholarship players, walk on quarterbacks and a make-shift, interim coaching staff. Once it was reported that Nussmeier would be out the line jumped from 4.5 to 7.5 and that’s a lot to lay with a pretty average Kansas State team, but LSU is up against it here.. The LSU team total is 19.5 and I like the under there as a look. LSU is a program where weird things happen, so you always have to keep that in mind, but this really just a game with serious mail-in vibes for the Bayou Bengals.
