KU basketball game prediction: Can Jayhawks beat Mizzou on Sunday in Kansas City?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KU will press Missouri’s turnover issues and switch on defense to control tempo.
- Darryn Peterson likely returns, testing KU’s rotation and offensive cohesion.
- Analyst favors Kansas 74-63 and recommends backing KU -4.5 against spread.
It’s another Border War showdown as the Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team takes on the Missouri Tigers in Kansas City on Sunday.
This one has a special venue, too: T-Mobile Center. KU leads the all-time Border War series 176-96, but Mizzou won the most recent matchup in 2024.
The No. 21-ranked Jayhawks (6-3) lost to UConn on Tuesday, while Missouri fell to Notre Dame.
Here is more about Sunday’s noon game, including a scouting report and prediction:
Kansas basketball vs. Missouri: Game details
When: noon (12 p.m.) Central Time on Sunday, Dec. 7
Where: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City)
TV/streaming: ESPN2
Opponent’s record: 8-1
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) ranking: 37
Betting line: KU is 4.5-point favorite.
All statistics are from KenPom.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division I competition
Missouri Strengths
- Elite offense: The Tigers rank No. 4 in effective field goal percentage (61.4).
- Inside the arc scorers: Missouri ranks No. 4 in 2-point percentage (63.8%).
- Plenty of experience: The Tigers ranks No. 21 in Division I experience (2.39 years on average).
Missouri Weaknesses
- Allowing many 3s: The Tigers rank No. 354 in opponent 3-point rate (49.5%)
- Turnover prone: Missouri ranks No. 257 in turnover percentage (19%).
- Nothing easy at the line: The Tigers rank No. 237 in free-throw percentage (69.6).
Missouri Name to Know
6-foot-9 senior guard Mark Mitchell (No. 25)
+ Elite scorer (18.1 PPG)
+ Good rebounder (6.1 RPG)
+ Efficient scorer (shooting 61.6%)
+ Solid passer (3.2 APG)
- Turnover prone (2 TPG)
- Struggles at the line (shooting 66.5% on free throws)
Kansas-Missouri game prediction
Well, Jayhawks fans, the long absence without Darryn Peterson could finally be over. KU coach Bill Self said Peterson should be available for the game.
“Unless he has a setback between now and game time,” Self said. “But we’re approaching it like he’s available.”
While there’s no guarantee that Peterson is back for sure, I believe he will be. On Saturday, he released a video on his YouTube channel entitled “The Comeback,” in which he discussed his injury and overall mindset.
With or without Peterson, the Jayhawks match up well against the Tigers. Missouri’s offense is good, but the Tigers have played only two Power-4 teams: Notre Dame and Minnesota.
This will be the toughest matchup yet for the Tigers. KU’s defense is suffocating and MU already struggles to take care of the ball, so I expect the Jayhawks’ defense to feast. KU’s ability to switch up on defense will pose problems for Missouri’s offense.
Meanwhile, the Tigers’ defense is very middle-of-the-road in most stats. KU’s offense isn’t elite, but the Jayhawks have done well enough against most teams (aside from UConn). I expect that to continue for them Sunday against Missouri.
I don’t foresee this game being a blowout, but I do like KU to win comfortably.
Kansas 74, Missouri 63
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Kansas (-4.5)
Shreyas’ season record: 8-1
Shreyas’ record against the spread: 7-2
KU Player to Watch: Darryn Peterson
Call me optimistic, but I believe Peterson returns from his injury Sunday. So the question is this: How will he look after missing seven games? And will he be on minutes-restriction?
The last game Peterson played was Nov. 7 against North Carolina. He scored 22 points and had three assists. Whenever he has played, he has lived up to the hype directed at a potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick. It’ll be interesting to see how Peterson looks against the Tigers ... and whether he plays tentatively at all.
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM.
