No. 23 Missouri heads to Lawrence on Friday night for the second chapter of the renewed Border War, and the market has already shifted. Missouri opened as a 6.5-point favorite and now sits at 5.5, while the total has climbed from 50 to 51.5. Both teams are 1-0 after lopsided openers against overmatched opponents. Two new starting quarterbacks make this one of the harder Week 2 games to price. We have two picks plus a bonus angle below.
Last Updated: Friday, September 11, 2026
Kansas vs. Missouri — Time & How to Watch
| Where | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence Kansas |
| When | Friday, September 11 – 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
Missouri vs. Kansas Betting Preview
Missouri is 1-0 after a 54-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on September 3. Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons was sharp in his debut, completing 17 of 19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns before sitting out the second half. The Tigers then moved up two spots to No. 23 in the AP Top 25 released on September 8. The ground game was a different story. Jamal Roberts carried 13 times for 47 yards, and head coach Eli Drinkwitz was critical of his team’s pressure and takeaway numbers afterward.
Availability matters here. All-America running back Ahmad Hardy remains out as he recovers from a gunshot wound suffered in May, and he has not returned to practice. Backup Malae Fonoti is done for the season with a knee injury. Left tackle Cayden Green, a preseason first-team All-SEC pick, missed the opener but practiced this week.
Kansas is also 1-0 after a 51-6 win over Long Island on September 4. Redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall made his first career start and finished 14 of 19 for 246 yards and two touchdowns, adding 49 yards on the ground. The Jayhawks are unranked but received AP votes this week. Two contributors are in doubt. Linebacker Daveon “Bam” Crouch and wide receiver Cam Pickett are both questionable. Kansas plays in the Big 12 and Missouri in the SEC, so this is non-conference for both. It is the 122nd meeting, and Missouri took last year’s renewal 42-31 in Columbia. For the line history, see our Missouri vs Kansas odds preview.
Missouri vs. Kansas Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | -5.5 (-110) | -210 | O 51.5 (-115) |
| Kansas | +5.5 (-110) | +175 | U 51.5 (-105) |
Odds accurate as of September 11, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NCAAF Odds – Futures – Props
Missouri vs. Kansas Prediction — Is the Spread too High?
Start with the direction of the line. Missouri opened at -6.5 and has been bet down to -5.5, while the moneyline shortened from -235 to -210. That movement came in the same week the Tigers climbed in the poll, which is the opposite of what usually follows a ranking bump. The market is pricing the matchup, not the résumé.
The situational case for the home side is straightforward. Kansas gets a Friday night crowd in Lawrence for a rivalry game the fan base waited more than a decade to see return, and Lance Leipold has a quarterback who looked comfortable in his first start. Missouri, meanwhile, is working without its best offensive player. Replacing Hardy with a committee against a defense that can sell out to stop the run is a real downgrade in a game expected to stay tight.
The case against Kansas is just as clear. Missouri has the better roster on paper, more SEC-caliber depth, and a quarterback who was surgical in his debut. If Simmons plays the way he did in Week 1 and the Missouri pass rush wakes up, this number will look small by the fourth quarter. Still, nearly a touchdown is a lot to lay on the road in a rivalry spot with a thinned-out run game. The half-point below six matters in a sport where margins cluster on key numbers.
The Pick: Kansas +5.5 (-110)
Missouri vs. Kansas Prediction — Will Defenses Shine over O?
The total opened at 50 and has been pushed to 51.5, which reflects two offenses that combined for 105 points in Week 1. Those numbers deserve a heavy discount. Missouri hung 54 on an FCS opponent, and Kansas put up 51 against Long Island. Neither defense was tested, and neither quarterback faced a front that could generate pressure. Friday is the first honest data point for both.
There is a legitimate case for the over. Missouri generated almost no pass rush in the opener, and Drinkwitz said so directly. Marshall was efficient through the air and adds a rushing element that stresses defenses near the goal line. If both quarterbacks stay clean, 52 points is reachable. The counterweight is that rivalry games with first-year starters tend to produce conservative plans and longer drives. Missouri without Hardy is likelier to lean on clock-draining possessions, and a close game late usually means the ball stays on the ground.
The Pick: Under 51.5 (-105)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
If you like Kansas at +5.5, the moneyline deserves a look. At +175, the Jayhawks carry an implied win probability of roughly 36 percent. Our read puts them closer to a coin flip, largely because of the venue, the rivalry setting, and the Missouri backfield. The risk is obvious. A moneyline ticket has no cushion, and Missouri is the more talented team. Treat this as a smaller-stake angle.
The broader point is that this game is priced off two openers that told us very little. In that environment, we would rather take the points with the home team and the lower side of a total that has already moved up. For more on this weekend’s slate, see our latest college football picks coverage.
Our picks for Missouri vs. Kansas: Kansas +5.5 (-110), Under 51.5 (-105), and Kansas moneyline +175 as a smaller bonus play.
NCAAF Missouri vs. Kansas FAQ: Friday September 11, 2026
What time does the Missouri vs. Kansas game start?
Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 11, 2026, which is 7:00 p.m. local time in Lawrence, Kansas. Kansas announced the Friday night window in May 2026, several months before the season began. The Border War meeting headlines the Week 2 schedule.
What channel is the Missouri vs. Kansas game on?
The game airs nationally on FOX. Kansas confirmed the network and the kickoff window in May 2026, well ahead of the season. Missouri and Kansas are both carried nationally rather than on a conference network for this non-conference meeting.
Where are Missouri and Kansas playing?
The game is at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, with Kansas as the home team. Last year’s renewal was played at Faurot Field in Columbia, so this is the Lawrence leg of the home-and-home agreement the two schools signed to revive the series.
Who won the last meeting between Missouri and Kansas?
Missouri won the last meeting 42-31 on September 6, 2025, in Columbia. That was the first game between the schools since 2011 and the opening chapter of the renewed rivalry. Friday is the 122nd meeting overall, with the series dating to 1891.
Who is starting at quarterback for Missouri and Kansas?
Austin Simmons starts for Missouri and Isaiah Marshall starts for Kansas. Simmons transferred in from Ole Miss and threw four touchdown passes in his debut. Marshall, a redshirt sophomore, won the Kansas job in August and made his first career start against Long Island.