Troy heads to Columbia on Saturday night as a 27-point underdog, and that spread is the number doing all the talking. No. 20 Missouri is 2-0 and coming off a 38-21 win at Kansas. Troy is also 2-0, but the Trojans built that record at home against Sam Houston and Alabama State. The market has priced this as a near-four-touchdown mismatch. Whether 27 is the right price is a different question, and the early betting splits suggest plenty of people disagree.
Last Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Troy vs. Missouri — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Memorial Stadium, Columbia MO |
| When | Saturday, September 19 – 7:00 PM ET |
| TV | SEC Network+ |
Troy vs. Missouri Matchup Overview
Missouri arrives 2-0 and ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 poll released September 13. The Tigers opened with a 54-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They then went to Lawrence and beat Kansas 38-21. That second result carries the weight. Missouri outgained Kansas 469-255 and pulled away after halftime.
Quarterback Austin Simmons, an Ole Miss transfer, completed 19 of 29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns in that game. Running back Jamal Roberts added 125 yards on 28 carries. Receivers Donovan Olugbode and Cayden Lee each cleared 120 yards. Seventh-year head coach Eli Drinkwitz now has an offense that can score from several directions.
Troy is also unbeaten under third-year head coach Gerad Parker. However, the schedule looks different. The Trojans edged Sam Houston 24-21 at home, then handled Alabama State 34-17. Sixth-year quarterback Goose Crowder has thrown for 366 yards and four touchdowns while completing 51 percent of his attempts. Running back Jaheim Merriweather has been the steadier weapon. He scored three times against Alabama State, including a 69-yard run.
This is a non-conference meeting between an SEC program and a Sun Belt program. Missouri leads the all-time series 3-1 and has won all three meetings in Columbia. The last came in October 2019, a 42-10 Missouri win. Saturday also marks the 100th season of Memorial Stadium, and the school has built the night into a centennial celebration.
Troy vs. Missouri Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | +27 (-105) | +1300 | U 49.5 (-110) |
| Missouri | -27 (-115) | -6500 | O 49.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of September 17, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NCAAF Odds – Futures – Props
Troy vs. Missouri — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Troy | 61% | 39% | Missouri |
See the latest College Football Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
NCAAF Betting Angle for Troy vs. Missouri
The spread opened at Missouri -27 with standard -110 juice on both sides. The number has not moved off 27. The price has. Troy now sits at +27 (-105) while Missouri is -27 (-115). That is a small shift, but the direction is worth noting. The cost of laying the points has gone up rather than down.
The public splits point the other way. Sixty-one percent of spread tickets are on Troy and 39 percent are on Missouri. On the moneyline, though, 99 percent of tickets sit on Missouri. That combination is easy to read. Almost nobody doubts who wins. The disagreement is entirely about the size of the win.
The case for Troy is about game script, not about the result. A 27-point cover asks Missouri to keep scoring into the fourth quarter. The Tigers led Kansas comfortably late and could afford to rotate. Troy also has a sixth-year quarterback and a back capable of a long run, which is the quickest way for a heavy underdog to shorten a margin.
The case for Missouri is the gap in competition. Troy’s two wins came at home against a Conference USA opponent and an FCS opponent, and the Sam Houston game was a three-point escape. Missouri’s second win came on the road against a Big 12 team. The Tigers have scored 92 points in two games and allowed 35. For more on how the market has treated similar mismatches this week, see Houston vs Texas Tech Odds: Public Betting & How to Watch September 18.
The total is the quieter market here. It sits at 49.5 with -110 on both sides, unchanged since it opened. That number implies a final in the neighborhood of 38-11. Missouri has scored at least 38 points in each of its first two games. Troy has not allowed more than 21. Something in that pair of trends has to give.
Troy’s Ground Game Is the Swing Factor at Faurot Field
Merriweather’s 69-yard touchdown run against Alabama State is exactly the play type that moves a large spread. He has 149 rushing yards and three scores on the season. Gavin Griffin has added 137 yards behind him. A running game that produces explosive plays lets an underdog trim possessions and keep the favorite’s offense on the sideline.
The passing game is the harder part of that plan. Troy averages 183.0 passing yards per game, which ranks 104th nationally. Missouri averages 324.5 and ranks 17th. Crowder’s 51 percent completion rate also leaves Troy with little margin on third down. Against SEC-level defensive speed, one-dimensional offenses tend to stall in the middle of the field.
Missouri’s defense gives some evidence for that. The Tigers held Kansas to 255 total yards and have allowed 17.5 points per game through two weeks. Troy’s defense has been respectable at 19.0 points allowed per game, and linebacker Keno Jones has led the pressure. Still, neither of Troy’s opponents so far resembles what Missouri will put on the field.
The setting matters too. A centennial night game at a sold-out Memorial Stadium is not the spot where favorites usually sleepwalk through the first quarter. Early scoring is often what separates a 27-point cover from a 20-point win. Our Syracuse vs Pittsburgh Odds: Spread, Public Betting & How to Watch September 17 preview tracks another line where early game script drives the number.
NCAAF Troy vs. Missouri FAQ: Saturday September 19, 2026
What time does the Troy vs. Missouri game start?
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 19, 2026, which is 6:00 p.m. local time in Columbia. The game was originally scheduled for an 11:45 a.m. local kickoff before Missouri announced the move to a night slot in late August.
What channel is the Troy vs. Missouri game on?
The game streams on SEC Network+, which both schools list as the broadcast outlet. SEC Network+ is a digital-only service rather than a cable channel, so viewers watch through the ESPN app or ESPN.com using a participating TV provider login. Radio coverage runs on each school’s team network.
Where are Troy and Missouri playing?
The game is at Memorial Stadium, home of Faurot Field, in Columbia, Missouri. This is a standard home game for the Tigers rather than a neutral-site matchup. Saturday also serves as Missouri’s official celebration of the stadium’s 100th season.
What conference are Troy and Missouri in?
Missouri plays in the Southeastern Conference and Troy plays in the Sun Belt Conference. This meeting is non-conference for both programs, so the result does not affect either league race. Both teams entered the week at 2-0 overall and 0-0 in conference play.
Who won the last meeting between Troy and Missouri?
Missouri won the most recent meeting 42-10 on October 5, 2019, in Columbia. The programs have met four times overall, with Missouri holding a 3-1 edge. Troy’s lone win in the series came at home in 2004, a 24-14 result in Troy, Alabama.