Kansas State vs. Cincinnati Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Where Kansas State gets at Cincinnati: 42nd at running it, against a unit 103rd at defending the run. Where Cincinnati gets at Kansas State: 72nd at hitting chunk plays, against a unit 122nd at keeping everything in front of them. Kansas State is also 52nd at surviving second and twelve, against a unit 105th.
How
KSUattacks
CIN
- 1
Run it
running it · projected
KSU#42 of 138CIN#103 of 138 - 2
Trust the offense behind schedule
surviving second and twelve · projected
KSU#52 of 138CIN#105 of 138 - 3
Finish drives in the red zone
turning trips inside the 40 into points · projected
KSU#42 of 138CIN#90 of 138
HowCINattacksKSU
- 1
Take shots
hitting chunk plays · projected
CIN#72 of 138KSU#122 of 138
The two teams
Kansas State
Kansas State is in year 1 under Collin Klein. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 11th at hitting chunk plays. The way in is 122nd at keeping everything in front of them, and they are 119th at staying out of the backfield.
Kansas State has played 1 game against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Offensehitting chunk plays#11projected
- Defensestaying on schedule through the air#33projected
Projected soft spots
- Defensehitting chunk plays#122projected
- Offensegetting stopped at the line#119projected
Cincinnati
Cincinnati runs it: Scott Satterfield's offenses have been run-leaning across 9 seasons. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 12th in the push up front. The way in is 124th at stuffing runs at the line, and they are 116th at shutting down the ground game.
On fourth down he goes for it more often than his peers do from the same spots (+5.0%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −22.0% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Cincinnati has played 2 games against a genuinely tough slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Offensethe push the line gets#12projected
- Defensehitting chunk plays#24projected
- Offenserunning it#30projected
Projected soft spots
- Defensegetting stopped at the line#124projected
- Defensemoving the ball on the ground#116projected
- Defensesacks and tackles for loss#114projected
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (CIN Elo 1516, KSU Elo 1684 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects CIN +5.2 (37% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
KSU24th55thCINCIN22nd2ndKSUThrough the air
KSU79th64thCINCIN106th1stKSUOn the ground
KSU8th74thCINCIN4th50thKSUStaying on the field
KSU2nd18thCINCIN14th12thKSUTaking care of it
KSU75th46thCINCIN1st76thKSU
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| KSU | CIN | |
|---|---|---|
| +16.0 (#25) | CORE overall | +2.5 (#62) |
| +5 / -11 | offense / defense | +3 / +0 |
| 3.40 | points / drive | 3.40 |
| 0.00 | allowed / drive | 1.27 |
| 20% | three-and-outs | 30% |
| +0 | pass over expected | -13 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Kansas State vs. Cincinnati?
Gridpex's model favors Kansas State with a 63% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Kansas State vs. Cincinnati?
The model projects Kansas State by 5.2.
What time is Kansas State vs. Cincinnati and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Nippert Stadium.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →