- No. 1 Kansas (7-1) is coming off its first loss of the season.
- Missouri (7-1) is playing its eighth consecutive home game.
- The Jayhawks have won three in a row against the Tigers since their rivalry was renewed.
Coming off their first loss of the season, the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (7-1) will travel to Columbia, Missouri, for a rivalry matchup with the Missouri Tigers (7-1) at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday inside the Mizzou Arena.
The Jayhawks lost 73-63 to Creighton in their first true road test on Wednesday, giving them extra motivation entering the latest edition of the Border War.
This rivalry was renewed in 2021 after Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012, and it’s been one-sided since bringing it back. The Jayhawks have an average margin of victory of 21.6 points over the past three meetings:
- 2021: Kansas 102, Missouri 65 (Lawrence)
- 2022: Kansas 95, Missouri 76 (Columbia)
- 2023: Kansas 73, Missouri 64 (Lawrence)
Will Missouri make things more competitive in this year’s matchup? Here is a look at the latest Kansas vs. Missouri college basketball odds and my prediction for Sunday’s showdown:
Kansas vs. Missouri College Basketball Odds, Dec. 8
- Projected point spread: Kansas -5
- Projected total: 153
While odds for this matchup aren’t yet available at the BetMGM online sportsbook, KenPom projects a 79-74 road victory for the Jayhawks. That would make Kansas a five-point favorite with an over/under of 153.
I’ll update these odds when they become available, but let’s use this projection as a guideline for what to expect when the market is released.
Kansas vs. Missouri Prediction – Sunday, Dec. 8
Based on KenPom’s projection, my Kansas vs. Missouri prediction would be to lay the points with Kansas (-5) on the road against Missouri. The Jayhawks have won each of the last three meetings by at least nine points, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see another statement performance on Sunday.
Regarding KenPom’s projections, those numbers can often adjust based on single-game results in a small sample size. For example, Kansas dropped from sixth overall on KenPom to ninth following its loss to Creighton.
But it’s worth noting that shooting splits can significantly impact a game’s outcome. Creighton went 12-for-29 from 3-point range, while Kansas finished 8-of-23 from distance.
The Bluejays deserve credit for playing off Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams, but the Jayhawks were also missing one of their best shooters, Rylan Griffen, who had the flu.
In fact, EvanMiya’s new lineup rating tool considers the grouping of Harris, Adams, Griffen, Hunter Dickinson, and Zeke Mayo to be the seventh-best lineup in the country.
I expect KU head coach Bill Self to adjust if Missouri uses a similar defensive game plan. I also think the Jayhawks are well-equipped to slow down the Tigers’ top-ranked 2-point offense (64.7%).
Missouri hasn’t played anyone ranked better than No. 31 overall on KenPom, and that was an 83-75 loss to Memphis in the season opener. This will be a step up in competition, and the Jayhawks will flex their muscles against their rival.
Prediction: Kansas -5
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