Where: Allen Fieldhouse

Betting Line: -30.5 Kansas

The No. 17 Jayhawks return to Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night looking to build on their season-opening victory. Kansas will face a Middle Tennessee team coming off a dominant win of its own, but Bill Self's squad enters as a heavy favorite.

Kansas men's basketball will look to make it two wins in a row when the Jayhawks welcome Middle Tennessee to Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night. After opening the 2026-27 season with a convincing victory over Fordham, Kansas has another opportunity to continue building chemistry before a much tougher test next week.

The No. 17 Jayhawks enter the matchup at 1-0 after defeating Fordham 95-65 on Monday. Kansas showed off its offensive depth in the opener, with multiple players contributing throughout the night. Tre White led the way with 22 points, while Tyran Stokes and Leroy Blyden Jr. each finished with 15. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Melvin Council Jr. and the rest of the rotation also helped Kansas pull away in the second half.

However, head coach Bill Self still wants to see improvement from his team. One of the biggest concerns coming out of the opener was free-throw shooting. Kansas finished just 16-for-30 from the line against Fordham, leaving plenty of room for improvement. The Jayhawks will need to become more consistent in that area as the competition gets tougher.

Middle Tennessee also enters Friday's contest with a 1-0 record after defeating Fisk 117-73 in its season opener. The Blue Raiders demonstrated their ability to score, putting up more than 100 points and getting contributions from several players. Guard Jahvin Carter is one of the team's important returning pieces after averaging 10.8 points per game last season. Kansas will need to limit Middle Tennessee's perimeter opportunities and avoid allowing the visitors to get comfortable offensively.

According to the Kansas game preview from the Lawrence Journal-World, the Jayhawks have won all three previous meetings between the programs. Friday will be the fourth matchup and the first time Self faces the Blue Raiders as Kansas' head coach.

Kansas enters as a significant favorite. According to BetMGM's latest odds, the Jayhawks are listed at: Kansas: -30.5 (-110) Middle Tennessee: +30.5 (-110) Over/Under: 156.5 points Kansas moneyline: -10,000 Middle Tennessee moneyline: +3,300

Lines can vary between sportsbooks. Action Network listed Kansas at -27.5 with a 150.5-point total.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU. Jayhawks Roundtable.

Source: Yahoo Sports