Missouri vs. Kansas Odds
| Missouri Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+23 -110 | 142 -110o / -110u | +1200 |
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-23 -110 | 142 -110o / -110u | -2500 |
Missouri and Kansas had one of college basketball's best rivalries. However, the Border War has been dormant since 2012 when Missouri left for the SEC.
Kansas leads the all-time series, 172-95. The series was set to resume in 2020, but it was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's meeting will mark the first of six meetings in the rivalry's renewal from 2021-26.
Missouri enters this matchup at 5-4. The Tigers have a couple of shocking losses on its resume to UMKC and Liberty, along with losses to Wichita State and Florida State.
Kansas is 7-1 and currently sits at No. 8 in the AP Poll. After being upset by Dayton at the Events Invitational, the Jayhawks have ripped off three straight wins by double digits.
Will Kansas knock off its old rival by double digits as well?
Missouri Tigers
The Tigers are led by forward Kobe Brown, who does a little bit of everything. The 6-foot-7 junior averages 14.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, two steals, and one block per game. He leads the team in all categories except assists.
Guard Amari Davis averages 11.8 points and 3.2 rebounds, while forward Ronnie DeGray III puts up 9.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. However, the Tigers have been challenged offensively this season.
Missouri ranks 279th in scoring offense (66.6 points), 283rd in offensive rating, and 202nd in adjusted offensive efficiency. It's been held under 60 points in four of its nine games already.
Lack of ball movement has been an issue at times, as the Tigers are 267th nationally with 11.9 assists per game. It doesn't help that shots have not been falling. Missouri ranks 297th in field goal percentage (41.1%) and 357th in 3-point percentage (24.6%).
Missouri has been better on the defensive end. The Tigers are allowing 63.4 points per game and rank 89th in adjusted defensive efficiency. They're also +7.3 in rebounding margin.
However, opponents are shooting 35.5% from 3 against Missouri. The Tigers' 3-point defense could be an issue against Kansas.
Kansas Jayhawks
In the first month of the season, Kansas has been one of the best offensive teams in the country. It averages 84.5 points per game, which is 13th nationally. It also ranks third in adjusted offensive efficiency and 11th in offensive rating.
The Jayhawks have been led by guard Ochai Agbaji, who has played himself into the conversation of being a first-round pick in next year's NBA Draft. The 6-foot-5 senior is averaging 22.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 45.8% from deep.
Guard Christian Braun adds 16.8 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 71% on 2-point attempts and 36% from 3. Agbaji and Braun combined for 43 points in the Jayhawks win over UTEP on Tuesday night.
Arizona State transfer guard Remy Martin has provided stability in the backcourt while taking on a lighter scoring load than he has been accustomed to. He's averaging 10.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists thus far.
Head coach Bill Self loves playing through his bigs, and center David McCormack has taken advantage by averaging nine points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks on the year.
Missouri vs. Kansas Betting Pick
Kansas will enter this game on a roll, particularly offensively, where the Jayhawks have scored 96, 95, and 78 points in the last three games.
They should be able to keep it rolling offensively against a Missouri defense that struggles to defend the 3. Kansas is also shooting 59.5% on 2-point field goals, which is eighth in the nation.
However, Kansas may not need 90 points again to cover this spread. Missouri has struggled to find consistent production offensively outside of Brown.
Kansas is also 28th in adjusted defensive efficiency, so points will be hard to come by for Missouri again. If the Tigers continue to shoot as poorly as they have all season, Kansas will run away with this one.
Allen Fieldhouse is one of the toughest places in the country to walk out with a win. Self also been profitable as a heavy favorite. As a favorite of 20+ points, the Kansas coach is 42-34 ATS (55%) and would put a $100 bettor up $539.
I'm going back to the well and backing Self and his Jayhawks to cruise at home against an old rival.
Pick: Kansas -23
