K-State Wildcats vs Missouri Tigers: Football game prediction, betting line, TV, time
The Kansas State football team will try to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a perfect record at Missouri on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know before kickoff ...
Kansas State at Missouri game details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Faurot Field, Columbia
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
The line: Kansas State by 4 with an O/U of 48.5
Game prediction
The betting line for this game has made more than a few interesting moves over the past week.
You could find Kansas State as low as a one-point favorite last Saturday. A few days later the Wildcats steamed up to as high as a 5.5-point favorite. But the number now appears to have found a happy medium, with Missouri serving as a home underdog of four points.
Personally, I don’t understand the late movement.
Both of these teams are off to 2-0 starts, but their performances have been anything but similar. K-State opened the season with dominating wins over Southeast Missouri State (45-0) and Troy (42-13). Mizzou got things rolling with so-so efforts against South Dakota (35-10) and Middle Tennessee (23-19).
K-State has looked like a much better team than Missouri. Throw in the fact that the Wildcats beat the Tigers going away 40-12 last season at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and I’m struggling to see why some expect this game to go down to the wire.
Chris Klieman is traditionally excellent in this type of game. He guided the Wildcats to non-conference wins over Mississippi State, Stanford and Missouri in his first four seasons at K-State. His team should be highly motivated for its first road game of the year, especially against a SEC opponent that it considers a rival.
The path to a Missouri upset seems to begin with the hope that the Tigers are treating this like their Super Bowl, and their uninspiring play last week can be chopped up to simply looking ahead to K-State. With a sellout crowd behind them, there is no doubt that Mizzou will be ready to play.
Talented receiver Luther Burden will challenge K-State on defense. The Tigers will also make Will Howard and company work harder than they have previously for points. This game should be closer than last year’s.
Still, I don’t see Missouri truly throwing a scare into K-State without a couple cheap scores via trick plays or turnovers.
I’m picking the Wildcats by more than a touchdown.
Kansas State 33, Missouri 21
Last week’s prediction: K-State 35, Troy 17 (Actual: K-State 42, Troy 13)
Season record: 2-0.
Season record against the spread: 2-0.
This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 12:49 PM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs Missouri Tigers: Football game prediction, betting line, TV, time."