Texas Football vs. Kansas: Prediction and odds Week 5

No. 3 Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian have their Big 12 home opener set for Sep. 30 against the No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. For the first time in the history of this series, Texas and Kansas will face each other as top 25 ranked teams.

It is also the first top-25-ranked matchup in conference play in the Big 12 this season. Texas comes into this game with an undefeated 4-0 (1-0 Big 12) record after convincingly defeating the Baylor Bears on the road at McLane Stadium in Waco on Sep. 23, 38-6.

Kansas is also sporting an undefeated 4-0 (1-0 Big 12) record after head coach Lance Leipold’s squad came up with a 38-27 win at home in Lawrence on Sep. 23.

This is one of the highest-stakes matchups ever between Texas and Kansas. And it comes during the final meeting for these two teams as conference foes before the Longhorns leave for the SEC in 2024.

Here’s a look at the betting odds and game prediction as No. 3 Texas hosts No. 24 Kansas at DKR in Austin on Sep. 30, with the kickoff time set for 2:30 p.m. CT.

Texas football vs. Kansas: Odds for Week 5 2023

Texas is a 16.5-point favorite against Kansas in this game, and the over/under is set at 61 points (per Caesers Sportsbook).

The spread remains the same since Texas opened as a 16.5-point favorite over Kansas this week.

According to the ESPN matchup predictor, Texas has a 93.5 percent chance of beating Kansas.

Texas football vs. Kansas prediction

Texas is facing one of the most critical stretches of the Big 12 slate in the next couple of weeks. The only two ranked teams on the docket for Texas in conference play this season are Kansas at home this weekend and the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game in Dallas on Oct. 7.

Sark and the Longhorns will be tested by senior preseason All-Big 12 quarterback Jalon Daniels and the Jayhawks in this important matchup in Austin this weekend. Daniels wasn’t fully healthy when these two teams met in Lawrence last season, resulting in a 55-14 domination of the Jayhawks by the Longhorns.

But both teams look relatively healthy coming into the matchup on Sep. 30.

Texas has the edge regarding talent and depth on paper on both sides of the ball compared to Kansas. But Kansas has plenty of returning experience, as one of the teams that ranked in the top 10 in returning production in the FBS this preseason.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns must set the tone from the start of this game. If Texas starts playing from behind, that plays right into Kansas’ hands with their strong ground game and multiple offensive looks pre-snap.

Final score prediction: Texas-37, Kansas-20