While the Arizona Wildcats have joined the Big 12, their college football Week 3 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats this Friday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) will not count toward conference standings due to a scheduling technicality. Still, this matchup between No. 14 Kansas State and No. 20 Arizona will have key implications down the road toward the expanded College Football Playoff.
College football betting sites have Kansas State as a 7.5-point favorite on the spread at home. The total has climbed from 56.5 points to 59.5 at some books, and there are some intriguing player props in this potential shootout. Below, we break down some of the available props along with a tool to help you find the best odds.
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Arizona vs. Kansas State player prop tool
If you want to find props for any players in this game, or other Week 3 games, simply type a player’s name into the search bar below to receive a full list of their available props. You can also compare odds at multiple sportsbooks.
Arizona vs. Kansas State spread, moneyline, total
Player props for Arizona vs. Kansas State
How Tetairoa McMillan could top 95.5 receiving yards
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita opened the season with 422 yards against New Mexico, and Tetairoa McMillan accounted for a whopping 304 yards with all four of Fifita’s touchdown passes. The 6-foot-5 junior from Hawaii followed that up with just two receptions for 11 yards against Northern Arizona, as Fifita only passed for 173 yards under a more conservative game plan.
Facing a Kansas State team with an explosive offense and a below-average defense that coughed up 342 passing yards to Tulane last week, it’s possible Fifita will need to air it out early and often, giving his primary receiver several opportunities to break some big plays and approach 100 yards through the air.
How Tetairoa McMillan could get fewer than 95.5 receiving yards
Since he’s so clearly the primary target for Fifita, McMillan could see double or triple coverage on every route. Arizona’s coaches might capitalize on that defensive approach from Kansas State by running the ball more often or scheming underneath passes to other receivers. Kansas State could control the clock by running the ball all evening, which would limit McMillan’s opportunities.
Arizona’s defense has coughed up 5.6 yards per carry and 211 rushing yards per game through two games this season. Its offense might lead the nation in points per game (61) and yards per pass (13.6), but it’s facing a step up in competition and environment at KSU.
How DJ Giddens could score a second-half touchdown
Giddens has been a workhorse for KSU through two games, with 238 rushing yards at 7.4 yards per carry, and 69 receiving yards on seven receptions. The 6-foot-1, 212-pound junior has yet to rush for a TD, but he turned a 45-yard catch and run into a touchdown in the third quarter against Tulane.
Kansas State could be able to wear down a weak Arizona defense in this matchup, and Giddens might have better luck in terms of red zone touches after his backup, Dylan Edwards, poached a couple of second-half touchdowns in the opener against the University of Tennessee-Martin. Edwards also scored on a 13-yard rush in the fourth quarter against Tulane last week, but Arizona is a ranked team that will command more respect and potentially force Giddens to keep handling the rock through four quarters.
How DJ Giddens could miss a second-half touchdown
Touchdown bets are always a bit volatile, especially if they’re narrowed down to one half to improve the odds. Giddens is at -150 at most books to score a touchdown in either half, so oddsmakers expect him to find the end zone against an Arizona team that coughed up 19 rushing touchdowns last season.
If Arizona is leading in the second half, KSU might not be able to lean on Giddens and the ground game quite as much. The threat of Edwards stealing goal-line touches will loom large regardless of game script, as it’s possible Giddens makes several plays to get his squad into scoring position, only to get a breather while Edwards finishes the drive with a rushing touchdown.
