You may have missed it, but Kennesaw State put together one of the most surprising college football seasons in the modern era in 2025.

The Owls were pegged by sportsbooks, modelers, and pundits as one of the worst teams in the country, but they defied all of those predictions with a 10-win season that culminated with them defeating Jacksonville State in the Conference USA Championship Game.

Unfortunately, all that success meant the sharks were circling, and Kennesaw State lost several key players to the transfer portal this offseason. Thus, it’s no surprise that the Owls have sputtered to a 1-4 start in 2026.

That said, they should have a decent chance to build some momentum against Missouri State on Wednesday night. Kennesaw State is a 3-point favorite on the road.

Kennesaw State vs. Missouri State odds, prediction

Things may not look like they’re going well for Kennesaw State, but the Owls have also been on the wrong side of Lady Luck this season. Their last two defeats have come by a combined four points, and their most recent loss to Jacksonville State, one of the favorites to win CUSA, was a last-minute heartbreaker.

The Owls aren’t as formidable as they were last year, but they’re not as bad as their 1-4 record implies.

I’m not sure we can say the same about Missouri State.

After an impressive first season in FBS, the Bears lost their head coach, Ryan Beard, to Coastal Carolina. That departure forced Missouri State to start over in a lot of facets, and the early returns have been predictably ugly.

The defense has been especially poor, ranking 116th in yards per play allowed, 124th in points allowed, and 135th in yards allowed per contest. According to SP+, Missouri State is the 129th-best team in FBS.

Kennesaw State is in need of a get-right game, and luckily for the Owls, they are getting just the right opponent for one on Wednesday night.

The Play: Kennesaw State -3 (-110, DraftKings)