Missouri goes into Friday’s game at Kansas with the early edge, at least according to FanDuel, which has the Tigers laying 6.5 points on the road.
That line says plenty about how the matchup is being viewed. Missouri is the favorite, and the number suggests oddsmakers expect the Tigers to handle business in Lawrence.
Still, as the source notes, the real issue for Missouri is bigger than just the spread. A win would keep the program moving toward a successful 2026 season and would also spare the Tigers the headache of living with a loss to kansas for a full year.
A defeat there would land hard.
The game also carries the kind of tension that makes this rivalry feel heavier than a normal early-season matchup. Missouri has what the source describes as more talent, and that alone is a major reason to like its chances. But these games have a way of turning into something uncomfortable if the favorite doesn’t bring the right edge.
FanDuel’s opening number is one part of a packed Week 2 board that includes several notable SEC matchups. The full list of games to watch runs from Arizona State at Texas A&M, where the Aggies are favored by 15.5, to Arkansas at Utah, Oklahoma at Michigan, Alabama at Kentucky, Mississippi State at Minnesota, Delaware at Vanderbilt, Tennessee at Georgia Tech, and Ohio State at Texas.
Here are the SEC games to watch in Week 2:
Mizzou (-6.5) at kansas, O/U 50.5
Arizona State at Texas A&M (-15.5), O/U 54.5
Arkansas at Utah (-11.5), O/U 56.5
Oklahoma (-5.5) at Michigan, O/U 43.5
Alabama (-10.5) at Kentucky, O/U 48.5
Mississippi State (-1.5) at Minnesota, O/U 55.5
Delaware at Vanderbilt (-20.5), O/U 53.5
Tennessee (-13.5) at Georgia Tech, O/U 54.5
Ohio State at Texas (-1.5), O/U 47.5
In Other News...
Missouri Faces A Rivalry Hurdle Fans Know All Too Well
Missouri heads into Friday night with a familiar kind of pressure attached to a rivalry game that has been a long time coming. The Tigers will be in Lawrence to face Kansas, and it is the first time in 25 years Missouri has had a chance to win a true road game there. The last time the Tigers did it was back in 2001, during Gary Pinkels first season, and these programs have not met in Lawrence since 2005.
The setting adds another layer to a rivalry that already carried a long break before it picked back up last season. Missouris departure from the Big 12 led to a 14-year pause in the series, so even the return of the matchup has felt like a reunion with unfinished business. Now the Tigers get another shot in one of the sports more familiar border battles, with the location alone making this one feel different from the first meeting after the hiatus. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Shot At No. 1 Nebraska Ended In A Frustrating Twist
Missouris volleyball showdown with No. 1 Nebraska in the unusual setting of Wrigley Field was shaping up to be one of those late-season spectacles that felt bigger than a regular nonconference match. Instead, dropping temperatures and rising humidity turned the floor slick enough to force repeated stoppages while crews tried to clean and reset the playing surface.
After nearly an hour of delays, the match was suspended and the teams were left with a frustrated wait for a make-up date. Both coaches said they want to find a future opening to finish what started in Chicago, leaving Missouri with the sting of an interrupted chance against the nations top team and no clear answer yet on when the rest will be played. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Wrigley Showcase Just Turned Into A Strange Big Ten Problem
The Wrigley Field spotlight turned into an awkward early shutdown for Nebraska and Missouri, with their womens volleyball match halted just minutes into the first set after excessive moisture left the outdoor court unsafe. Coaches and staff tried to dry the surface, but officials ultimately chose player safety over continuing a showcase that had been built around the novelty of playing in a baseball stadium.
For Missouri, the bigger issue now is what comes next in a Big Ten scheduling wrinkle that has no easy fix. The league said the match cannot simply be rescheduled back at Wrigley, and a later decision will determine whether it gets finished at all and, if so, where that would happen. For a match that was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind event, the uncertainty is now the main storyline. [Read more 🡒]