Game Information
Missouri Tigers (8-1) vs #21 Kansas Jayhawks (6-3)
Time: 12pm CT Sunday
How to watch: ESPN2
DraftKings Odds
Spread: Kansas -6.5
Total: 148.5
KenPom Projection
Kansas 75, Mizzou 73
Border War Is Back
The Missouri Tigers and #21 Kansas Jayhawks renew their rivalry on Sunday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Mizzou will be looking for a second straight victory over KU after upsetting the #1 Jayhawks last year in Columbia.
Mizzou Looking For Quality Win
The Tigers have been tested only one time away from home this season against a legitimate team, and they failed that test in falling at Notre Dame 76-71 this past Tuesday. Mizzou has played the third-easiest schedule in the country so far according to KenPom.
The Tigers could use a hot-shooting day to pull the upset, and they are certainly capable of it. Missouri ranks 5th in the nation in effective field goal percentage.
Jayhawks Battle-Tested
While the Jayhawks have 3 losses this season, it’s due in large part to playing a rigorous schedule currently ranked as the 8th-toughest in the country. KU’s defeats have come to North Carolina, Duke, and UConn. However, the Jayhawks have beaten Syracuse, Tennessee, and the team that defeated Missouri earlier this week in Notre Dame.
Kansas may be getting a huge lift in this one with the likely return of freshman phenom Darryn Peterson, who is a candidate to be the Number 1 pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Peterson is expected to play against Mizzou after missing the last 7 games with a hamstring injury.
My Lean
At one point, Kansas was a slight 1.5-point favorite. But as the week has rolled on and with Peterson’s expected return, this line has ballooned to 6.5 as of the time of this writing the night before the game.
I was planning on betting the Jayhawks because in a game with a small spread, I want to be on the more battle-tested squad that has shown it can beat quality teams. But one rule of thumb I try to live by in sports gambling is don’t bet a side when you’re getting the worst of the number - and 6.5 is certainly the worst of the number.
I’m passing on this game, but if forced to make a pick, I would still roll with KU. You know Bill Self badly wants this one after losing at Mizzou last season, and I think he’ll have his guys ready to go. The Tigers are going to need to show me something before I can back them against an opponent like this.
Lean: Kansas -6.5 at -108 on DraftKings
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Wednesday night on the STL Sports Central YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Get Eric's picks for all sports by following him in the Action Network app with the username "esontag". Disclaimer