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The Kansas Jayhawks take on the Misouri Tigers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Kansas Missouri prediction and pick.
The Border War is back. It returned last year when Kansas blew out Missouri. Now it comes back to Columbia, with Missouri relishing the chance to host the hated Jayhawks for the first time in a decade. These teams have not played in Columbia since February 4, 2012, when Mizzou scored its last win in this 269-game series. Kansas leads 174-95 in a series which dates back to 1907.
The reason this series was discontinued is that when Missouri moved from the Big 12 to the SEC — leaving Kansas's conference — the two schools were not able to arrive at an arrangement. They finally got back to the bargaining table and worked out this home-and-home set for 2021 and 2022.
Kansas-Missouri was must-see college basketball in the 1990s through the early 2010s. A decade ago, Missouri had a top-tier NCAA Tournament-contending team, the No. 2 seed in March Madness which got knocked off by Norfolk State in one of the big upsets in NCAA history. Kansas was also a No. 2 seed that year. The Jayhawks went to the Final Four and reached the national championship game before losing to Kentucky.
A few decades earlier, in the 1990s, Kansas and Missouri were similarly formidable, and their battles in the Big 8 Conference — the predecessor to the Big 12 — were captivating. Roy Williams coached Kansas, and Missouri legend Norm Stewart led the Tigers. Kansas had Mark Randall and Adonis Jordan, while Missouri had Anthony Peeler. Kansas was a Sweet 16 team in 1994, Missouri was an Elite Eight team and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Younger fans might not remember what KU-Mizzou basketball games were like, but older fans certainly appreciate and welcome the return of the Border War to Columbia, Mo. The joint will be jumping for this game, and it is by far the biggest basketball game of Missouri's season.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Kansas-Missouri College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas-Missouri Odds
Kansas Jayhawks: -3.5 (-110)
Missouri Tigers: +3.5 (-110)
Over: 152.5 (-110)
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Under: 152.5 (-110)
Why Kansas Could Cover the Spread
The Jayhawks have a better team than Missouri. No one disputes this. Kansas is not better than it was last season, but last season the Jayhawks won the national championship. They still set a very high standard under head coach Bill Self. They are a work in progress, but they have the makings of a top-tier team. The other thing you need to look at in this game is that Missouri has played cream-puff opponents thus far. The Tigers have not tested themselves against prime opponents. Not having had that kind of test could hurt the Tigers. Kansas, by contrast, has played Duke and Tennessee and Wisconsin and other Power Five conference teams. That could matter.
Why Missouri Could Cover the Spread
If the Tigers want to win one game this season, this is it. This is the one. They will treat this game as their Super Bowl and will play with a level of energy unmatched in any other game with the possible exception of the Illinois in the “Braggin' Rights” game.
Final Kansas-Missouri Prediction & Pick
Kansas is a better team, and Missouri's lack of high-end competition through its first nine games makes Mizzou's 9-0 record less impressive than you might think. Go with Kansas.
Final Kansas-Missouri Prediction & Pick: Kansas -3.5
