The Long Island Sharks take on the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, KS. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Kansas is favored by -41.5 points on the spread, and the total is set at 54.5 points.
Here’s my LIU vs. Kansas predictions and college football picks for Friday, September 4, 2026.
LIU vs Kansas Prediction
- LIU vs. Kansas Pick: Kansas 1Q -10.5
My Kansas vs. LIU best bet is on the Jayhawks to cover the spread in the first quarter. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
LIU vs Kansas Odds
| Long Island Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+41.5 -110 | 54.5 -105o / -115u | OFF |
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-41.5 -110 | 54.5 -105o / -115u | OFF |
- LIU vs Kansas point spread: Kansas -41.5 (-110), LIU +41.5 (-110)
- LIU vs Kansas over/under: 54.5 (-105o / -115u)
LIU vs Kansas Preview
LIU Sharks Betting Preview
Long Island head coach Ron Cooper brings vast experience into his fifth season at the helm, with the 64-year-old previously coaching at Louisville and FIU, amongst a couple of other collegiate programs.
That said, Cooper's overall record is very poor, prevailing in just 26 of the 63 games that he has coached at the collegiate level.
In Week 0, Long Island got steamrolled against North Dakota, trailing by six touchdowns at halftime. Now, Cooper’s bunch has a far more challenging matchup on the road at Lawrence.
Luca Stanzani leads the charge at QB for the Sharks in his fifth season with the program, but he's been very underwhelming from a statistical perspective, throwing 29 TDs and 13 interceptions across his 35 games under center.
Fortunately for Stanzani, LIU has a very talented tailback in Tyselle Spencer, who was an All-American track star. If the Sharks are to have any form of success offensively in 2026, I expect it to result from Spencer.
I expect LIU to have its hands full on the defensive side of the football with several new faces, but I would be shocked if this Sharks defense is able to contain Kansas’ dual-threat star QB, Isaiah Marshall.
Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview
The Jayhawks enter a pivotal sixth season under head coach Lance Leipold, looking to rebound in impressive fashion following consecutive 5-7 seasons over the last two years.
For the first time since 2020, the Jayhawks will be without long-time starting QB Jalon Daniels, with the dual-threat phenom leaving a major void at the QB position.
Fortunately for Kansas, Daniels will be replaced by another dual-threat QB in Marshall, who I expect to have a monster season.
While junior QB Cole Ballard was initially slated to replace Daniels, Marshall earned his spot in camp largely due to his remarkably impressive playmaking ability (exceptional speed and top-tier arm-strength).
Though Kansas lost a lot of last season’s best receiving options, namely WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr., who was selected in April’s NFL draft, Leipold hit the transfer portal hard to surround Marshall with some elite talent.
Kansas made a huge addition, landing 2025 Biletnikoff Award contender in Buffalo WR Nik McMillan.
I expect McMillan to make an immediate impact for this offense, and to give opposing secondaries nightmares while having to worry about senior slot WR Cam Pickett as well.
Following a 2025 campaign where the Jayhawks' defense was best characterized by its volatility and inconsistency, Leipold added depth to the unit.
Tulane product Tre’von McAlpine is coming in, while former Razorback Kevin Oatis and Jibriel Conde (Grand Valley State) should add even more size to their defensive front.
I expect former Michigan State DE David Santiago to play a major role as an edge rusher for a Kansas defense that really struggled to bring pressure to opposing QBs last season.
The Jayhawks’ 2025 leading tackler — LB Trey Lathan — also returns after making 86 stops, along with seven tackles for loss last season. I expect Lathan to have a phenomenal final season, and I view him as a big sleeper to win the Butkus Award in 2026.
If LB Daveon Crouch is able to avoid injury, I also expect him to be a 70+ tackle option for this new-look Jayhawks defensive unit.
LIU vs Kansas Pick, Betting Analysis
While the Jayhawks’ Friday night home opener should tell us a lot about what to expect from Leipold’s bunch in 2026, we already have a one game sample size to evaluate LIU on — and it was not pretty.
In its first 2026 matchup, LIU trailed 22-0 to North Dakota at the end of the first quarter and entered the locker room trailing 42-0.
While the Sharks clawed back for a 42-21 final score, it was clear as day that the Fighting Hawks took their the foot off the gas in the second half.
Kansas is a far better team than North Dakota, and while this train of thought often holds little relevance from a handicapping perspective — as most games are matchup-oriented — I still expect the Jayhawks to lay an absolute beatdown on Friday.
Given North Dakota’s 22-0 1Q score in Week 0 and the notion that Marshall will be looking to make a huge impact in his first game as a starter, I feel quite confident backing Kansas to lead by at least 10 after the opening stanza on Friday.
Pick: Kansas 1Q -10.5
