After a 14-year hiatus, the Border War returned in 2025 with the Missouri Tigers defeating the Kansas Jayhawks 42-31 in Columbia. This year, the Border War shifts to Lawrence, where the Jayhawks will be at home. Both the Tigers and Jayhawks won comfortably in Week 1 of the 2026 college football season against overmatched opponents, so this will be the first true test for two programs trending in opposite directions. Kickoff for this prime-time affair on Friday, Sept. 11 is set for 8 p.m. ET. Bet on Mizzou vs. Kansas at DraftKings and get $200 in bonus bets when you spend $5+:
Eli Drinkwitz has a new quarterback in tow, as Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons takes the reins for the No. 23 Tigers. He was impressive in his Mizzou debut, throwing for 252 yards and four touchdowns in the first half before being taken out for the rest of the contest. Donovan Olugbode, the Tigers' top holdover at receiver, had 107 yards and two scores. Lance Leipold enters his sixth season at Kansas, and after a nine-win season in 2023, he's failed to reach bowl eligibility in each of the last two seasons. Before making your wagers on Missouri vs. Kansas on Friday, take a look at what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying about this matchup.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It is on a 33-20 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks on betting sites since the 2024 season, and it has been upgraded for the 2026 season to even better factor in the transfer portal. Anybody following its picks on college football betting sites could have seen strong returns.
Missouri vs. Kansas betting odds (via DraftKings)
| Missouri vs. Kansas money line: | Missouri -198, Kansas +164 |
| Missouri vs. Kansas over/under: | 51.5 (Over -112, Under -108) |
| Missouri vs. Kansas spread: | Missouri -4.5 |
Missouri vs. Kansas betting preview
Mizzou's 29 wins over the last three seasons, including two bowl wins, rank fifth among SEC programs, with only Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss and Alabama winning more. Drinkwitz has registered two double-digit win campaigns in the last three years, but things unraveled in 2025 after a 5-0 start. Part of that opening surge was a win over Kansas in Columbia, highlighted by Brett Norfleet's two touchdowns and Jamal Roberts' game-sealing 63-yard touchdown run. Both Norfleet and Roberts are back for 2026, but Mizzou is still going to be without top running back Ahmad Hardy. Hardy is recovering from a gunshot injury he suffered in the offseason, and while he's cleared to practice, Drinkwitz has said he needs to see sustained work in order for the star to participate in a game.
The Jayhawks turn things over to Isaiah Marshall, who was behind Jalon Daniels on the depth chart a season ago. Marshall was solid in the Week 1 win over Long Island, throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns while adding 49 yards on the ground. Kansas' top skill players have changed from 2025, but Buffalo transfer receiver Nik McMillan looks like a threat after logging 130 yards and a score in the 51-6 victory.
Missouri vs. Kansas picks, prediction
Mizzou money line
While the SportsLine model has Kansas winning this game in 59% of simulations, I'm going to go with the Tigers here. Maybe it's my Mizzou homerism or SEC bias, but it's hard to believe a team returning more talent from a year ago with a potentially better quarterback would suddenly falter just because it is on the road. The Jayhawks are unlikely to have found a way to contain Roberts a year later, and Norfleet had his best game of last season against this squad. Kansas is breaking in a new quarterback against a defense which should be well-rested. Missouri's offense, even without Hardy, looks more capable with Simmons. The Border War is a great rivalry game and while anything can happen in rivalry games, I'll roll with the ranked squad to grab a win in Week 2.
