The Border Showdown is back in Lawrence, and the betting market has already made its feelings clear: Missouri may be ranked No. 23, but Kansas is getting real respect heading into tonight’s matchup at the Booth.
Missouri opened the week as a 6.5-point favorite, but that number has moved a couple of points since then. FanDuel Sportsbook now has the Tigers laying 4.5, with Kansas catching +4.5.
On the moneyline, Missouri sits at -205 and Kansas at +168. The total is 51.5 points.
That shift matters. It’s not a massive swing, but it does point to confidence that Lance Leipold’s team can hang around at home.
One factor in the change could be the absence of Ahmad Hardy. Missouri’s star running back missed the season opener and will be out again today after suffering a gunshot wound in the offseason.
Without him, the Tigers are still coming off a strong start of their own, having handled Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14. Kansas was just as sharp in its opener, rolling past FCS opponent Long Island 52-6 in the first game with Isaiah Marshall under center.
So while Missouri enters with the ranking and the early edge from the oddsmakers, the market has trimmed that cushion. The number tells the story: this one is expected to be tight.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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Kasen Carpenter Gives Kansas Real Hope Ahead Of Missouri Test
Kansas enters the Border Showdown with a lot to like up front, and Kasen Carpenter has quickly become part of the reason why. The former Oklahoma State lineman, who also spent time at Tulsa before landing in Lawrence, was one of three transfers on an offensive line that helped fuel a dominant season-opening win. For a team trying to build early-season momentum, the immediate comfort provided by a veteran center has been a welcome development.
Lance Leipold has already pointed to the offensive line as a key area to watch, and for good reason. Missouri will provide a very different kind of challenge than what Kansas saw in Week 1, and the Jayhawks know the meeting will tell them a lot more about where this front really stands. Carpenters rise has given Kansas real hope, but the next test is the one that will show how far that hope can travel. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Leans Into Border War Tension With Provocative Missouri Message
The Border War is back on the schedule, and Kansas is making sure the old rivalry arrives with the kind of edge that has always made it matter. With No. 23 Missouri coming to face the Jayhawks, Kansas football rolled out a Civil War-themed hype video to stir up interest around a series whose name carries more than just football baggage.
The matchup has long been tied to the states deep historical conflicts, from the Kansas-Nebraska Act to Bleeding Kansas and the Lawrence Massacre, and the program clearly wanted to lean into that weight. The timing adds another layer to a game that already needs little selling, even if Kansas is leaving some of the full message to the imagination for now. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Is Tied To A Big Man Decision Still Waiting On NCAA
A big-man target with a legal wrinkle has put Kansas in the middle of one of those offseason waiting games. Emmanuel Ogbole, the former Rutgers center, is seeking a fifth year of eligibility for the 2026-27 season, and the lawsuit he filed against the NCAA says Kansas had already gotten involved by pushing for a hardship waiver and an extension of his eligibility before the sport moved to a new eligibility model. For a program still mapping out its frontcourt future, that kind of early interest is at least a sign the Jayhawks are keeping tabs on options well ahead of time.
Ogboles case has drawn attention beyond Lawrence, with Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and UNLV also showing interest if he is cleared to play. The catch is that nobody is moving all the way to a roster spot or scholarship until the NCAA makes its call, and the lawsuit says that call is still very much in limbo. For Kansas, it leaves one more name on the board, but not yet on the roster, as the program waits to see whether the governing body will open the door. [Read more 🡒]