by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Dec 28, 2023
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Friday, December 29, 2023
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Mizzou +3.5, OSU -3.5; Over/Under: 49 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Mizzou +3.5, OSU -3.5; Over/Under: 49 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Mizzou +3.5, OSU -3.5; Over/Under: 49 points
Season Record
Missouri Tigers: 10-2 (6-2) (2nd place, SEC East)
Ohio State Buckeyes: 11-1 (8-1) (2nd place, Big Ten East)
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Recent Form
Missouri Tigers: won their last game on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks 48-14.
Ohio State Buckeyes: lost their last game on the road against the Michigan Wolverines 30-24.
Missouri Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Analysis
Missouri is entering this game with a 10-2 record overall and they have a 6-2 record in their conference games too. They are 6-1 in their home games, 3-1 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Arkansas 48-14. Brady Cook was the starting QB and he completed 12/20 passes for 112 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Cody Schrader led the team in rushing yards with 217 and 1 TD. Luther Burden III led the receivers with 55 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Triston Newson led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 9 assisted tackles while Sidney Williams, Chuck Hicks, Jaylon Carlies, Realus George, Jr., and Nyles Gaddy each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Ohio State is entering this game with an 11-1 record overall and they have an 8-1 record in their conference games too. They are 6-0 in their home games, 5-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They lost their last game against Michigan 30-24. Kyle McCord was the starting QB and he completed 18/30 passes for 271 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. TreVeyon Henderson led the team in rushing yards with 60 and 1 TD. Marvin Harrison Jr. led the receivers with 118 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Steele Chambers led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles while Jack Sawyer each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Missouri vs Ohio State Prediction
The current betting odds have Missouri listed as a 3.5 point underdog in this Cotton Bowl Classic game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Missouri has looked great in their games this season with their 10-2 record overall and they were also one of the best teams in the SEC this year with their 6-2 conference record. Meanwhile, Ohio State also looked great in their games with their 11-1 record overall but they fell short of the Big Ten Championship due to their 1 loss which was against Michigan in the only game that really mattered for them this season. Now they have a ton of players entering the transfer portal, including their starting QB who won't be playing in this game, and Ohio State is going to have no motivation here since this isn't the bowl game they wanted to play in with much higher hopes this season of being in the college football playoffs. Missouri had a really good year though as they improved a lot from last season and they will be looking to finish the year strong with a bowl win against a team like Ohio State. A win here would be a very nice feather in their cap to end the season and Missouri also has a lot less of their key players entering the transfer portal too. Missouri is live to win this game outright and even if they do lose, they will keep the game within a field goal. The best way to place a bet here is on Missouri to cover the spread in this game.
Missouri Ohio State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Friday, December 29, 2023 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Missouri 24 Ohio State 17.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Missouri Tigers: 4-9 ATS in minor bowl games (played in December). 5-9 ATS in non-conference games. 20-33 ATS after a win by 28 or more points. 26-15 UNDER off a road win. 11-6 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread.
Ohio State Buckeyes: 26-17 ATS off a loss against a conference rival. 37-22 ATS after 1 or more consecutive straight up losses. 15-8 ATS after a game where they forced 1 or less turnovers. 9-3 UNDER in all games. 9-2 UNDER as a favorite. 32-16 UNDER when the line is +3 to -3.
Key Injuries
Missouri Tigers: T. Hopper (LB) Ques Fri - Ankle. E. Rakestraw Jr. (DB) Ques Fri - Undisclosed. C. Bailey (LB) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. D. Houston (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. M. Cox (RB) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. I. Thompson (DB) out for season - Lower Body.
Ohio State Buckeyes: L. Ransom (S) Ques Fri - Leg. K. Antwi (WR) Ques Fri - Undisclosed. D. Brown (QB) Out indefinitely - Ankle. N. Baudo (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. M. Williams (RB) out for season - Undisclosed. T. Caffey (RB) Out indefinitely - Knee. J. Mitchell (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. K. Grayes (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. J. Bonsu (S) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. R. Stocksdale (WR) out for season - Knee. Z. Herbstreit (TE) out for season - Undisclosed. B. Christian (TE) out for season - Suspension.
Notable Quotes
“It’s time to start talking about him being the best player in the country. For his football team, a Top 10 team, leads the SEC in rushing, can’t say enough good things about him.” - Eli Drinkwitz on Cody Schrader after his team’s win against Arkansas in their last game of the college football regular season.
“We’re all disappointed. We know what this game means to so many people. To come up short is crushing.” - Ryan Day after his team’s loss against Michigan in their last game of the college football regular season.
Starting Lineups
Missouri Tigers
WR Wease Jr., Theo
WR Cooper, Mookie
WR Burden III, Luther
TE Stephens, Tyler
QB Cook, Brady
RB Schrader, Cody
Ohio State Buckeyes
WR Harrison Jr., Marvin
WR Ballard, Jayden
WR Egbuka, Emeka
TE Stover, Cade
QB Brown, Devin
RB Henderson, TreVeyon
Statistical Leaders
Missouri Tigers
Passing: B. Cook (3174)
Rushing: C. Schrader (1489)
Receiving: L. Burden III (1190)
Touchdowns: C. Schrader (13)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Passing: K. McCord (3170)
Rushing: T. Henderson (854)
Receiving: M. Harrison Jr. (1211)
Touchdowns: M. Harrison Jr. (15)
Coaches:
Missouri Tigers: Eli Drinkwitz (4th season)
Ohio State Buckeyes: Ryan Day (6th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
