The Battle of the Border is here, and Missouri is ready to take home to trophy. As one of the longest rivalries for Missouri, the Tigers are set to take on the Kansas Jayhawks today at home in Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
This is one of the oldest rivalries west of the Mississippi River, and even when the Tigers left the Big 12 for the SEC, they still find space on the schedule for each other.
Missouri looked absolutely dominant in its season opener against Central Arkansas with a 61-6 win. The bad news is that Eli Drinkwitz was using that game as a quarterback battle, and while Beau Prubula shone, fellow quarterback Sam Horn suffered a leg injury in the first quarter, running the ball, and will now be out for an extended period of time, according to Drinkwitz.
So going forward, the offense will belong to Pribula, and he will need to shine yet again against what is going to be a tougher Jayhawks defense. The Jayhawks have allowed a total of 14 points in their first two games this season against Fresno State and Wagner, so not necessarily as high-level opponents as Missouri, but it is still impressive.
This by no means will be an easy game, and with kickoff just a few hours away, here are the final odds and Truman's Tales' final prediction for the game.
Final odds for Kansas vs. Missouri
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Kansas: +6.5 (-112)
- Missouri: -6.5 (-108)
Moneyline
- Kansas: +188
- Missouri: -230
Total
- O/U: 50.5 (-114/-106)
Kansas vs. Missouri final prediction
With the Kansas Jayhawks making strides in the last few seasons to become a more respectable program, this game is turning more into a rivalry. The Jayhawks have the players, they have the coach, and now they are hoping to have the success, but the Missouri Tigers are here to destroy that hope.
Pribula went 23-for-28 with 283 yards and two touchdowns against Central Missouri. However, he also had 10 carries for 65 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. So with four total touchdowns combined in the air and on the ground, he is going to be a tough guy to keep in the pocket long enough when he feels the pressure.
Pribula will be the difference in this game, if he can control the offense in a methodical manner and control the time of possession, giving the Jayhawks little time on the field, Missouri has the best chance to bring home that rivalry trophy.
Missouri currently holds the lead in this rivalry, 57-54-9, a narrow lead, but a lead nonetheless. Defense will be the other key to this win. Being able to keep Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels under pressure in the pocket will be crucial for Missouri's defense. The Tigers can not let him scramble, and when he drops back to pass, they have to get a hand in his face to create some sort of distraction.
This game could come down to which defense makes just a couple more plays than the other, and that needs to be Missouri.