Chris Klieman‘s Kansas State Wildcats enter 2023 with hopes of winning back-to-back Big 12 Championships.
Klieman has a solid 50-30 record (60%) across four years and broke through in 2022. His Wildcats won 10 games, captured the Big 12 Championship, and made the Sugar Bowl.
Maintaining a double-digit win pace isn’t easy in this era of college football unless you’re among the elite programs. Are Klieman’s ‘Cats here to stay?
Let’s look at BetMGM Sportsbook’s college football betting insights to see their betting odds of repeating as Big 12 champs.
Conference Winners: ACC-Clemson | Big Ten-Michigan| National Championship: Alabama | Georgia | LSU | Michigan | Ohio State | Season-Win Totals: Colorado O3.5 | K-State O6.5 |
BetMGM College Football Betting Insights: Big 12 Conference Odds
Favorites: Texas +120
Highest Ticket%: Kansas State 34.2%
Highest Handle%: Texas 27.5%
Biggest Liability: Kansas State
The Wildcats have the third-shortest odds (+600) to win the 2023 Big 12 Championship, behind only the Texas Longhorns (+120) and Oklahoma Sooners (+500). Bettors like Kansas State’s chances of repeating this season, placing the highest percentage of tickets (34.2%) on Klieman’s squad to make them BetMGM’s biggest liability in the market.
Kansas State is an attractive bet, as they won this conference a year ago and have decent +600 odds this season while returning most of the roster. That includes quarterback Will Howard, who averaged a robust 8.2 yards per attempt across seven appearances, and All-American candidate Cooper Beebe on the offensive live.
Deuce Vaughn‘s 1,936 scrimmage yards and 12 TDs from a year ago will be difficult to replace, although Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward has 1,433 career yards on 6.6 yards per touch and paired with D.J. Giddens (518 rushing yards on just 89 attempts as a redshirt freshman) form a solid duo. The offense will still move the ball effectively, and the defense figures to remain stout after surrendering just 21.9 PPG.
Still, it’s easier said than done for a Wildcats’ repeat. This conference is truly up for grabs, as anybody in the top half could make a run. The Wildcats were good in 2022 but hardly dominant, ranking 39th in EPA Per Play on both sides of the ball.
The schedule isn’t easy, either. After getting two tough tests in Troy and Missouri in the non-conference portion, they open Big 12 play at home against the UCF Knights before back-to-back road tests against the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Texas Tech Red Raiders. That’s a tough start.
Two other home games are toss-ups (TCU, Baylor), and two more should be wins (Houston, Iowa State). Road trips to face the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks also offer no reprieve.
The Big 12 will be a gauntlet this season, and while Kansas State figures to be near the top of the league, there isn’t enough value in their odds at +600. A handful of teams are in the mix this season, and the Wildcats will face a serious test from quite a few, making a repeat a tall order.
2023 Big 12 Winner VerdictSell Kansas State (+500) to win the Big 12
