Oklahoma vs. Missouri prediction, pick, odds, spread: No. 8 Sooners host former Big 12 rival Tigers
Expert picks, prediction and preview as No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 22 Missouri meet on Saturday
By
Carter Bahns
•
3 min read
No. 8 Oklahoma can almost taste the College Football Playoff. The Sooners will be favored in each of their final two regular-season games, likely needing to go 2-0 to clinch a spot in the CFP bracket. The first of those contests comes at home Saturday against No. 22 Missouri, a team -- despite being down its starting quarterback and rolling with a true freshman -- that just put up 49 points against an SEC opponent in Mississippi State.
The Week 13 matchup has letdown potential for the Sooners after they posted consecutive wins over ranked opponents. The Tigers are a tough out, having played both Alabama and Vanderbilt to one possession. But with John Mateer leading the offense and Brent Venables poised to cook up another vicious defensive game plan, Oklahoma has everything it needs to take care of business. If the Sooners can make life tough on quarterback Matt Zollers and keep star running back Ahmad Hardy in check, they should pick up their third consecutive win.
Oklahoma and Missouri played almost annually for a century, but this is just the second meeting between the former Big 12 rivals since 2011. The Tigers took their debut SEC showdown last season in a 30-23 win in Columbia.
Neither side has life in the SEC Championship race, so it is full steam ahead towards the playoff for Oklahoma and all eyes getting to a premier bowl game for Missouri.
Oklahoma vs. Missouri: Need to know
Points at a premium: The scoreboard operator in Norman might have a nice, calm afternoon on Saturday. The defenses in this matchup are two of the 11 stingiest units in college football in yards allowed per game. Moving the ball on the ground is borderline impossible against Oklahoma, which ranks No. 3 against the run, and Missouri does not let much fly with its No. 15 pass defense. Sooners defensive lineman David Stone is arguably the most fearsome standout between the two units, and that the Midseason All-American comes off the bench is a testament to Oklahoma's elite depth up front.
Zollers settles in: The first start of Zollers' young career did not go swimmingly. In fact, that is an understatement. The Missouri quarterback delivered a putrid 7-for-22 passing effort in a blowout loss to Texas A&M two weeks ago. But while his accuracy only improved slightly in his second outing, the former blue-chip recruit gained some necessary confidence in the Tigers' rout of Mississippi State, tossing a pair of touchdowns. Zollers will have his hands full with his toughest test to date on Saturday.
Pound the rock: Both teams like to run the ball at a high rate, but doing so against these defenses will be a challenge. Missouri's offense is a ground-oriented operation that runs on nearly 60% of its snaps, and it's hard to blame Eli Drinkwitz for handing the ball off so often with Hardy leading the nation in rushing yards. The sophomore ballcarrier just posted the best performance of his career with a 300-yard, three-touchdown explosion and has crossed the century mark in all but three games. Oklahoma, meanwhile, has one of the country's most lethal quarterback run games with Mateer leading all ballcarriers in attempts (104) and touchdowns (7).
Where to watch Oklahoma vs. Missouri live
Date: Saturday, Nov. 22 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium -- Norman, Oklahoma
TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Oklahoma vs. Missouri prediction, picks
The defenses are the two most reliable units in this matchup. On the Oklahoma side, Venables should have plenty up his sleeve for an inexperienced quarterback in Zollers who has yet to find much footing. His run-stopping unit will be the best that Hardy has seen all year, too, so another 300-yard effort is almost certainly not in the cards for the Doak Walker Award candidate. Simply put, there is no straightforward path for the Tigers to move the ball. With both teams content to run at a high rate -- thus keeping the clock ticking -- and both defenses ranking among the nation's best, it should not take more than a couple scores to decide this game. Just be wary of a defensive touchdown. Pick: Under 42.5
Who will win and cover in each Week 13 college football game? Legendary Vegas expert Bruce Marshall is on a 33-22 roll on college football picks. Visit SportsLine now to see all his college football picks.
