NCAAF Missouri vs Kansas: Predictions, How To Watch and Best Bets

Written By Dan Angell | Published at September 11, 2026

Sep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Jamal Roberts (20) runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.

This is the game that Kansas administrators hoped David Booth Memorial Stadium would be fully ready for. For the first time in 21 years, Missouri vs. Kansas will take place in Lawrence.

The Jayhawks are far more prepared for this matchup than in past years, and they’ve done a decent job in non-conference play under Lance Leipold. They’ve managed wins over Duke and Illinois at home, covering in both cases.

But Missouri represents a different kind of matchup, especially after last year. The Tigers brutalized Kansas on the ground, running for 261 yards on 47 carries. Missouri doesn’t have Ahmad Hardy this time around because of a gunshot wound, but Jamal Roberts did most of the damage anyway.

With Roberts leading the charge again, Missouri looks like it’s got the edge in this rematch. Here’s a look at this Missouri vs. Kansas matchup in Lawrence.

Missouri vs. Kansas Prediction

Best Bet: Missouri -5.5 (Caesars, -107)

Missouri’s goal against Arkansas-Pine Bluff was to get as many players in the game as possible. Even with that, the Tigers still gained 205 rushing yards. They’ll try to do something similar to Kansas, which doesn’t appear to have fixed last year’s problems in the front seven.

The Jayhawks crushed Long Island’s ground game, but anything would have worked against the Sharks. Missouri’s rushing attack wore Kansas down last year, which proved a big part of the Tigers’ comeback. That was a theme for Kansas last year; six different Jayhawk opponents averaged five yards per carry or better.

Kansas didn’t have the depth to hang with tougher teams last season. This year doesn’t yet appear any different. The Jayhawks will have to prove they can handle physical play in a close game, which Long Island was never going to provide.

Missouri isn’t going to give up on the ground game if Roberts struggles early. It’s going to keep pounding, and Kansas has not shown it can handle 60 minutes of physicality. Expect a similar formula to last year, where Missouri pulls away in the final 10 to 15 minutes of action. At -107, Caesars has the best odds on the board.

Missouri vs. Kansas Same Game Parlay

Under 51.5

Missouri -5.5

Kansas +3 First Half

The Jayhawks will have a fired-up crowd on their side. They probably won’t have the depth they need to hang with Missouri for four quarters. That makes the first-half play on Kansas a solid option. Last year, the Jayhawks jumped on Missouri for a 21-6 lead after a quarter, but the Tigers knotted things by halftime.

Even with that, and even with Missouri pounding the ground game, Kansas didn’t fall more than a score behind until two minutes remained in the contest. That was also a theme for Kansas last year: the Jayhawks covered in three of their defeats and would have made it four if not for Roberts’ late touchdown.

With both teams likely to need some time to handle facing FBS competition, the game favors both the defenses and the home team. Neither side has an experienced quarterback, which also suggests that they’ll favor the ground game. Any time both teams prefer to stay on the ground, points get more difficult to come by.