K-State Wildcats vs. BYU Cougars: TV, time, odds, game preview and score prediction

The Kansas State men’s basketball team will try to snap out of a losing streak when the Wildcats take on the BYU Cougars on Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.

Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, plus a score prediction:

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Bramlage Coliseum (Manhattan)

TV: None

Stream: ESPN+

Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita

Betting line: BYU by 2.5

Over/Under: 142.5

STARTING LINEUPS

About BYU (19-7, 7-6)

The Cougars are coming off an impressive 78-71 victory over Baylor in which they showed why they are one of the best offensive teams in the country. BYU plays a different style than most other teams in the Big 12, as most of its offensive sets run through big man Aly Khalifa. His ability to knock down 3-pointers and pass to the open man makes the Cougars a difficult team to defend. Just about all of their shots are wide open, but they don’t attack the basket with much athleticism.

Jerome Tang thinks their system is so different that he compares it to the triple option in football. K-State has to completely change its help-side defense against BYU. Spencer Johnson may not play in this game, because coach Mark Pope said his wife went into labor on Thursday.

About Kansas State (15-11, 5-8)

The Wildcats are coming off a 62-56 road loss against the Texas Longhorns. They have lost seven of their past eight games to fall out of contention for an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. But K-State is still playing hard in games. That is most obvious with reserve forward David N’Guessan, who has battled through injuries to give the Wildcats solid production in his past two games.

Finding an extra complementary scorer for Cam Carter, Tylor Perry and Arthur Kaluma is a big priority for K-State at the moment. It has failed to score 80 points in 11 straight games.

BYU at K-State prediction

This is a difficult game to handicap.

BYU is a better team than K-State. Thre is no doubting that. But the Wildcats get to play this one at home, which could give them an enormous advantage.

Home teams in the Big 12 have gone 61-30 in conference play this season. You need a very good reason to pick a road team in this league when home teams are winning at such a high percentage (68%).

Perhaps the Cougars fall into that category. They have one of the best offenses in all of college basketball, and if they get hot from 3-point range they probably will find a way to win in Manhattan. Then again, BYU is only 2-5 on the road this season. Oklahoma State beat the Cougars by double digits last week at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Despite its recent flaws, K-State remains difficult to beat inside the Octagon of Doom. The Wildcats are 11-3 at home this season and they were a bit unlucky last week when they lost to TCU on a buzzer-beater.

Jerome Tang’s team is also still fighting hard. This group has not given up on the season and it badly wants to end the regular season on a high note.

Maybe playing defense against BYU for the second time in a few weeks will help K-State in the rematch. BYU won earlier this month 72-66 at Marriott Center.

All things considered, this seems like a good opportunity for K-State to feed off its home crowd and end a losing skid against an opponent that has been up-and-down on the road.

Don’t be surprised if the Cardiac Cats return with a close win.

K-State 71, BYU 69

Last game prediction: Texas 74, K-State 65 (Actual result: Texas 62, K-State 56)

Season Record: 20-6

Season Record ATS: 12-14

Season Record O/U: 19-7

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.