Kansas Football Betting: Opening Spread for Cincinnati Game Revealed

Betting lines have come out for next week's matchup between Kansas and Cincinnati. Which Big 12 school is favored?

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Emory Jones (5) catches a snap during the NCAA college football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. This is the Bearcats last game of the season, as well as their Senior Night Saturday. | Carter Skaggs/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

After dismantling West Virginia in the Big 12 opener, Lance Leipold and the Kansas football team will set its sights on Cincinnati next week.

The Jayhawks will host the Bearcats in Lawrence for a second straight home game as they look to move to 2-0 in league play.

FanDuel Sportsbook has released the opening betting lines for the contest, and the Jayhawks are favored. However, the spread is not nearly as large as KU's previous game against the Mountaineers.

Kansas opens as a 4.5-point favorite over Cincinnati, compared to being nearly a two-touchdown favorite over West Virginia.

Kansas vs. Cincinnati Football Betting Spread

Spread: Kansas -4.5 (-115), Cincinnati +4.5 (105)
Moneyline: Kansas -184, Cincinnati +152
Over/Under: 54.5 points

Cincinnati will be coming off a bye week when it arrives in Lawrence. The Bearcats finished nonconference play 2-1, with wins over Bowling Green State and Northwestern State and a loss to Nebraska.

Meanwhile, KU defeated Fresno State and Wagner in nonconference play, lost to Missouri, and then bounced back after a bye week with a dominant 41-10 drubbing of West Virginia.

Cincinnati is coming off a 5-7 season under Scott Satterfield, who now enters his third year at UC. The Bearcats and Jayhawks have only met once since joining the Big 12, with the final result being a 49-16 win for Leipold and Co.

Saturday, Sept. 27, will mark the fourth-ever meeting between these two programs and the second in front of Jayhawk fans at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Is -4.5 Points a Fair Line?

It certainly feels like a 31-point win over a conference opponent could sway more points in KU's favor. Then again, we saw just how overmatched this West Virginia team was last night.

The 4.5-point spread is not small by any means, but it suggests that sportsbooks are not fully bought in on the Jayhawks just yet. The spread is also still subject to change.

Cincinnati has yet to defeat a formidable opponent, though it did compete down to the wire with a solid Nebraska squad. The Bearcats boast a respectable defense and several dangerous offensive weapons.

Kansas will need to keep rolling to earn the respect of prognosticators, and it can do that by continuing its strong play next Saturday.

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Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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