Missouri and Kansas will write the next chapter of their rivalry Friday night at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
The Tigers, ranked No. 25 in the AP’s preseason poll, are 5.5-point road favorites.
Both teams took care of overmatched opposition in Week 1.
The Jayhawks rolled LIU, 51-6, while Missouri crushed Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 54-14.
Missouri vs. Kansas odds, prediction
This line opened at Missouri -6.5 and has moved toward Kansas, at least in part because it seems doubtful that running back Ahmad Hardy will suit up for the Tigers.
Hardy, who is still recovering from a gunshot wound he suffered back in May, led the SEC with 1,649 rushing yards in 2025.
Even if Hardy surprises us and suits up, it’s hard to expect him to provide a huge impact in his first game back after such a long recovery.
That means the pressure to move the ball will fall on quarterback Austin Simmons, better known as the player who was Wally Pipp’d by Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss last season.
Simmons was a Heisman dark horse at this time last year, but he went down with an injury and Chambliss took over from there for the Rebels. The 20-year-old junior has serious big-play potential, but he’s also prone to making one too many mistakes.
If Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey can polish those errors out of Simmons’ repertoire, the Tigers could be a force when Hardy comes back.
The good news is that Simmons has an experienced offensive line in front of him, and the Kansas defense doesn’t project to be a strength. The Tigers should score plenty in this one.
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I wouldn’t say the same for the Jayhawks when they have the ball.
Mizzou had plenty of churn on defense but the heart of the unit is impressive on paper, and defensive Corey Batoon has had the Tigers humming in his two seasons in Columbia.
It won’t be an easy night at the office for inexperienced quarterback Isaiah Marshall.
The Play: Missouri -5.5 (-110, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
