Kansas Jayhawks vs Missouri Tigers Predictions: Is this a difficult road test?
It's the first true road game for the Kansas Jayhawks, as they head to the east for the first edition of the Border War in Columbia since 2012. The Jayhawks continued to shake off their loss to Tennessee as they demolished the Seton Hall Pirates. But now they leave the friendly confines of Allen Fieldhouse to head to one of the most intense environments they will face all season. The Missouri Tigers are undefeated, but it is fair to question how good they actually are.
Can Kansas avoid a severe letdown in a difficult situation? Can Missouri elevate their game enough in the rivalry to scare Kansas? Or will the Jayhawks continue to roll before the holiday break?
Do you disagree with our assessment? Make sure you read them all and then hop over to the Discord or on Twitter to share your own thoughts.
Kyle Davis
Check out our Missouri Preview for Kyle's full breakdown and prediction.
Derek Noll
Ah, the old game that people think matters. Neat. Anyway, Kansas is going to go out there and hammer these dudes and it will be fun to watch. Congrats on the one sell out at your arena this year, and maybe we’ll see you in the tourney.
Kansas 99, Missouri 68.
Lucas Murphy
The Kansas Jayhawks are coming off of an extended break and will be taking on the undefeated Missouri Tigers. The Jayhawks lead the series that has been coined “Border Showdown” 175-95. These two teams last met last season in Lawrence, Kansas. The Jayhawks would absolutely destroy the Missouri Tigers winning 102-65. Fast forward to this season and I expect the game to get out of hand for the Tigers. The Jayhawks are the perennial blue blood and take basketball seriously. Jalen Wilson is playing at a very high level averaging 21.9 points per game and Grady Dick is averaging 15.3 points per game. The Jayhawks were able to get healthy and will be getting Cam Martin back after separating his shoulder. I believe the Jayhawks will end the perfect season the Tigers currently have.
Kansas 85, Missouri 68
Brendan Dzwierzynski
Missouri is much improved this year, I will give it credit for that. The Tigers have a high-powered offense…but that’s where I think the challenges end for Saturday. Their defense is not good and their schedule has been extremely flimsy to this point. Kansas is easily the best team Missouri has faced, and KU has way too many scoring threats and quality defenders to make this look like a game Missouri is used to playing. Jalen Wilson, Gradey Dick and probably a host of others should be able to post gaudy offensive numbers, while I’m certain the Jayhawks’ defense will quell the Tigers’ early season scoring prowess.
Kansas 88, Missouri 73.
Andy Mitts
It's a rivalry game for sure, and while they say to throw the records out when you play these games, I don't really know what Missouri's record is telling us. They have won every game, but the toughest opponent they have faced is Wichita State, and looking at Kenpom rankings, they should have been favored heavily in every game they played.
Missouri plays a style that is fairly similar to what Kansas likes to play, so while Ernest Udeh and the other post players may still need some polish, anything they provide is likely going to just be a bonus. This is more about who executes better, and despite the hostile environment, I expect Kansas to be the team that comes away with the better performance. Look for Dajuan Harris to have a big game in his hometown, as long as he can keep from overextending, and Kevin McCullar should provide a good steadying presence.
The big question is how the environment will affect Kansas. While I think it does give Missouri a boost, it won't be enough to overcome the Jayhawks and their weapons. But it should be enough to keep Kansas from running away with this one until very late, if at all.
Kansas 85, Missouri 76.
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