Kansas Jayhawks vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Odds & Game Pick (2021)

The Kansas Jayhawks are off to a 1-0 start. That should be a given, though, as they have only played FCS South Dakota. However, the rest of Kansas’s schedule is much harder. The Jayhawks struggled to score points against South Dakota as they won 17-14 in a nail-biter. On the other hand, Coastal Carolina had no trouble scoring points against The Citadel as they won 52-14. The big question is if Kansas can even remotely keep up with Coastal Carolina on the road. I’m not so sure.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

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Details

  • Opening Lines: Coastal Carolina -27.5, O/U 50.5
  • Current ATS Line: -25
  • Current Over/Under: 52.5
  • Location: Brooks Stadium, South Carolina
  • Date: Friday, Sept. 10, 2021
  • Start Time: 7.30 p.m. EST
  • Television: ESPN2
  • Last Meeting: This will be the third meeting between Coastal Carolina and Kansas. Coastal Carolina defeated Kansas in 2020, 38-23.

Overview

There isn’t much to say about Kansas. They struggled offensively against South Dakota and squeaked by with a three-point win. Junior quarterback Jason Bean threw for only 162 yards and two touchdowns but finished with a QBR of 23.7. He also ran 15 times for 54 yards and was basically Kansas’ entire offense. In 2020, Bean had a completion percentage of 54.5 percent. Kansas won’t win much if he does that again this season.

The Jayhawks were able to show off a solid pass rush on the defensive end, but they really struggled to tackle. Their defense only allowed 263 yards and gave up just 98 passing yards on the game. However, I doubt that their pass rush will get to Grayson McCall.

Coastal Carolina’s offense is extremely shifty and can break tackles at will. McCall threw for 262 yards and a touchdown against The Citadel. He finished with a QBR of 94.7 and missed just three attempts all game. Running back Shermari Jones ran nine times for 100 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.1 yards per carry. Wide receiver Jaivon Heiligh led the team in receiving with six catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.

Trends

  1. The Jayhawks are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.
  2. The over is 7-0 in the Jayhawks’ last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
  3. The over is 15-2 in the Chanticleers’ last 17 games in September.

Line Movement  

*Line movement analysis based on the DonBest Las Vegas betting market ticker*

Coastal Carolina opened as a 27.5-point favorite, but that number has since fallen to 25. Meanwhile, the total has increased from 50 to 52.5.

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Prediction

No way am I trusting Kansas in this spot. Coastal Carolina is the real deal and can score at will. They have a veteran quarterback in Grayson McCall, who has played really well in big moments. Their passing game should be electric this season, and I expect them to dissect a vulnerable Kansas secondary that didn’t look all that great against South Dakota.

The pass rush helped Kansas limit South Dakota’s passing game, not so much their secondary. While Coastal Carolina isn’t the best pass-blocking team in the nation, they’ll get the job done against the Jayhawks. Their offense is built to move fast and score quickly. They’ve got so much talent on the field, and McCall knows where to find them.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Kansas struggled to run the ball early. They are weak aside from Bean, their quarterback. Running back Velton Gardner ran 19 times for just 21 yards against South Dakota. Kansas’ run blocking was atrocious, and that won’t change in this one.

Coastal Carolina is on the way to another massive day on the offensive end. Defensively, they even looked really good tackling-wise against The Citadel. Kansas might pose a bigger challenge, but not much of one. Let’s lay the points here with Coastal Carolina.

Pick: Coastal Carolina -25 (-115)

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Jason Radowitz is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him @Jason_Radowitz.

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