Kansas prediction, odds, pick, how to watch College Football

Kansas opens its 2023 campaign with a game with Missouri State. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Missouri State-Kansas prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

In 2022 Bobby Petrino led Missouri State to a 5-6 record while playing in the Missour Valley Conference. Still, there is a lot of turnover from this quad. They lost their head coach, as Petrino went to Texas A&M to be the offensive coordinator. Ryan Beard, the defensive coordinator takes over. They were picked ninth out of 12 teams in the conference in the preseason, with multiple starters leaving the program. Jason Shelly is gone at quarterback, so finding a new QB will be key for the Bears as they look to build on last year.

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks of Kansas went 6-7 last year, losing their bowl game in triple overtimes to Arkansas. Kansas started the season 5-0 but fell in their next three games, and would end up 6-6 at the end of the season. Kansas has a great quarterback in Jalon Daniels though, and he can be a force in any game. The offensive line comes back mostly in tack and will provide him protection. The defense needs some work. They brought in a lot in the transfer portal but lost all four starters on the line from last year. Still, a good linebacking core should help this team win games.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Missouri State -Kansas Odds

Missouri State: +28.5 (-108)

Kansas: -28.5 (-112)

Over: 58.5 (-110)

Under: 58.5 (-110)

How to Watch Missouri State vs. Kansas

TV: Big12 Network

Stream: ESPN+

Time:  8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT

*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Missouri State Will Cover The Spread

Missouri State is going to be rolling out two quarterbacks in this game. Jacob Clark and Jordan Pachot should both see time and will have packages designed for them in this one. Both joined the squad a year ago, but neither saw time as a starter, or significant time overall. Clark through 11 passes last year, completing nine of them. Clark did play at the Power Five level though. He came in from Minnesota where he completed one pass for 39 yards. He is the better pocket passer of the group and has the bigger arn. Pachot is a JUCO transfer who also did not see major time last year. He is the more mobile of the two quarterbacks, as in solid on-play action plays.

Jacardia Wright will be the focus of this offense. He is a former Kansas State player who transferred after his junior season. Last year he had 711 yards on 156 carries for the Bears, with ten total touchdowns. He is explosive and fast which made him an FBS recruit. The biggest issue is when he does not have room to run. He is not a one-cut back and needs to have a hole made for him. Once he gets into open space he can make things happen. If Kansas struggles to tackle, or this offensive lien can get some push, it will be a big day for Wright.

On defense, it is all about Jalen Williams while he is a large member of the offensive line, he can move. Last year he had 17 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble. The biggest thing for him in this one will be containing the quarterback. Jalon Daniels is one of the fastest quarterbacks in the nation, and if he gets outside he can make some big plays. Williams can come around the corner and at least shield off one side of the field. Getting pressure on Daniels will be huge in this game if the Bears want to cover.

Why Kansas Will Cover The Spread

This offense is all about Jalon Daniels. Last year he threw for 2,014 yards with 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He is also a quality rusher. Last year he ran for 419 yards while scoring seven times on the ground. When he was healthy last year, the Kansas offense was great. He won his first six starts and then had Kansas with the lead against TCU before leaving the game with the injury. He was not quite the same when he came back, and lost some of his mobility. If the mobility is back, he will be hard to stop in this one. Daniels was picked by the media as the preseason player of the year, so there are high expectations for him this season.

The offensive line will be a huge part of this game. They have to keep Daniels upright and they bring back a lot this year. d Mike Novitsky is a potential NFL player and should be up for all Big 12 honors this year. If he can work with the rest of a veteran line to give Daniels time, good things will come. Plus, Kansas has a solid group of receivers. Lawrence Arnold is back and he was solid last year. He went for 716 yards last season and four scores. Meanwhile, Luke Grimm scored six times on 623 yards receiving. Mason Fairchild is the perfect outlet as a tight end. He also scored six times last year and caught 35 balls for 443 yards.

The defense needed to step up last year. They were last in the Big 12 in yards allowed per game while sitting 126th in the nation. They return Rich Miller and Craig Young. The two linebackers are fast and aggressive. They can both get to the quarterback fairly well, but more importantly, they are solid against the run. They also bring back all four starters in the secondary. Kobe Bryant could be the best corner in the conference, and he has a knack for making big plays. If he can have one in this game, it could turn the tide of the game quickly.

Final Missouri State-Kansas Prediction & Pick

Kansas is a heavy favorite and for good reason. They are a solid FBS Power Five program against a team from the FCS that is rebuilding. Still, there is concern and that is Jalon Daniels. He was injured again in the preseason and if he is not healthy, this is not the same team. Expect Kansas to get a lead and get Daniels out of the game. Still, they should be able to cover.

Final Missouri State-Kansas Prediction & Pick: Kansas -28.5 (-112)