The Kansas State Wildcats take on the Texas Longhorns. Our college basketball odds series has our Kansas State-Texas prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Kansas State Texas.

The Texas Longhorns started the season on fire. They looked like one of the best teams in the country. They decisively beat Gonzaga. They handled Creighton when the Bluejays still had big man Ryan Kalkbrenner on the floor, before he fell ill and dropped out of the Creighton lineup. That was the good Creighton team before it lost six games in a row. Texas was taking on all comers and beating them. Even when it did lose to Illinois in New York in early December, the Longhorns led that game by five points in the final minute before losing. They still looked like a good team; they just let that game slip away, in part by missing a front end of a one-and-one (from a good free throw shooter). Texas appeared to be a frontline Final Four contender.

Then came Chris Beard's arrest on an assault charge. The coach is in the legal system right now, and he has obviously not been able to coach the team. No final decision has been made on Beard by the University of Texas, but it is hard to see Beard being allowed to ever return to the bench — not only at Texas, but anywhere. In the meantime, assistant coach Rodney Terry has become the interim head coach. He is doing his best, but the plain truth of the matter is that Texas hasn't played as well with Beard not there on the bench. Texas was taken to overtime at home by Rice. It beat a bad Stanford team by only 10 points. It beat an average Oklahoma team by one point this past weekend. The wins are still coming, but Texas does not look like an authoritative, imposing team against moderately good opposition.

Kansas State is a moderately good team. The Wildcats have lost only once this season. They have largely played easy opponents. They won their Big 12 opener against West Virginia this past weekend, but WVU is not expected to finish in the upper half of the Big 12. Texas needs to show it can dominate — not merely beat — a team of Kansas State's caliber.

Here are the Kansas State-Texas college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:

College Basketball Odds: Kansas State-Texas Odds

Kansas State Wildcats: +9.5 (-115)

Texas Longhorns: -9.5 (-105)

Over: 135.5 (-110)

Under: 135.5 (-110)

*Watch Kansas State-Texas LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*

Why Kansas State Could Cover The Spread

New coach Jerome Tang has guided Kansas State through the early part of its season with only one loss. The Wildcats have not looked great, but one thing they have consistently done is win close games by playing well in the second half, particularly the final 10 minutes of regulation. Kansas State has trailed in the second half of several games this season, only to rally and win. This is a lot like what Arkansas does in the SEC under coach Eric Musselman, but on a smaller scale. Kansas State is not a better team than Texas, and it is not a more talented team than Texas, and it is playing this game on the road in Austin, but the Wildcats know how to fight back when they are punched in the mouth, and they know how to play close games. That should be enough to cover the spread.

Why Texas Could Cover The Spread

The Longhorns are a lot better than KSU, and after winning by just one point on the road at Oklahoma this past weekend, the Longhorns should actually grow in confidence. Getting that first Big 12 road win of the season  should be a shot in the arm for this roster, which has understandably not played with maximum passion or precision since its head coach got arrested and the flow of the whole season was disrupted. There should be a game or two in the coming weeks in which Texas puts it all together, and when that happens, the Longhorns are going to beat somebody by 20 points. This could be that game for Texas.

Final Kansas State-Texas Prediction & Pick

Texas without Chris Beard has not been authoritative. Take Kansas State.

Final Kansas State-Texas Prediction & Pick: Kansas State +9.5

How To Watch Kansas State vs. Texas

TV: Longhorn Network

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT