It's Halloween night in Fayetteville, with rain in the forecast at kickoff and the Battle Line Rivalry moved out of its usual late-season slot. Ryan Silverfield gets his first shot at ending Missouri's four-game streak in the series, and the books want the Tigers to win by double digits on the road. I'll take the points. Missouri has been a different team away from Columbia. Against FBS teams at home, the Tigers won by 10, 28 and 21 and allowed 17, 17 and 6. On the road, they won by 17 at Kansas, then lost by 7 at Mississippi State and by 28 at Ole Miss, giving up 514 and 498 yards in those two SEC road games. Jamal Roberts tells the same story: 222 and 211 yards at home, 95 and 39 on the road. Missouri also leaves points on the field. The Tigers have 11 touchdowns on 23 red-zone trips against FBS teams and went 0-for-3 at Ole Miss. Blake Craig is 11-of-17 on field goals with three blocked, and several of his makes came from 50-plus. Those kicks get harder in steady rain, and a favorite settling for field goals is how a 9.5-point dog cashes. Arkansas is playing cleaner football. The Hogs forced five takeaways over their last two games, and KJ Jackson didn't turn it over at Vanderbilt. Kash Courtney earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week at center. Arkansas ran it 41 and 32 times and held the ball over 32 minutes in each of its last two games, which shortens a wet game. Missouri's front has questions too: Ole Miss ran for 257 on them, Darris Smith is dealing with a high ankle sprain, and there's no word on Robert Woodyard Jr. There's real risk here. Missouri beat Texas A&M 27-6, while Arkansas lost 34-7 at A&M. The Hogs were blown out by Utah, Georgia and A&M, and opponents have scored touchdowns on 21 of 24 red-zone trips against them. If the rain lets up, Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode can pick this secondary apart. Watch Chris Marshall, too. He's questionable, and if he sits, I cool on this. Missouri probably wins. But on the road, in the rain, against a rivalry crowd, I'll take the 9.5.
It's Halloween night in Fayetteville, with rain in the forecast at kickoff and the Battle Line Rivalry moved out of its usual late-season slot. Ryan Silverfield gets his first shot at ending Missouri's four-game streak in the series, and the books want the Tigers to win by double digits on the road. I'll take the points.
Missouri has been a different team away from Columbia. Against FBS teams at home, the Tigers won by 10, 28 and 21 and allowed 17, 17 and 6. On the road, they won by 17 at Kansas, then lost by 7 at Mississippi State and by 28 at Ole Miss, giving up 514 and 498 yards in those two SEC road games. Jamal Roberts tells the same story: 222 and 211 yards at home, 95 and 39 on the road.
Missouri also leaves points on the field. The Tigers have 11 touchdowns on 23 red-zone trips against FBS teams and went 0-for-3 at Ole Miss. Blake Craig is 11-of-17 on field goals with three blocked, and several of his makes came from 50-plus. Those kicks get harder in steady rain, and a favorite settling for field goals is how a 9.5-point dog cashes.
Arkansas is playing cleaner football. The Hogs forced five takeaways over their last two games, and KJ Jackson didn't turn it over at Vanderbilt. Kash Courtney earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week at center. Arkansas ran it 41 and 32 times and held the ball over 32 minutes in each of its last two games, which shortens a wet game. Missouri's front has questions too: Ole Miss ran for 257 on them, Darris Smith is dealing with a high ankle sprain, and there's no word on Robert Woodyard Jr.
There's real risk here. Missouri beat Texas A&M 27-6, while Arkansas lost 34-7 at A&M. The Hogs were blown out by Utah, Georgia and A&M, and opponents have scored touchdowns on 21 of 24 red-zone trips against them. If the rain lets up, Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode can pick this secondary apart. Watch Chris Marshall, too. He's questionable, and if he sits, I cool on this.
Missouri probably wins. But on the road, in the rain, against a rivalry crowd, I'll take the 9.5.
Arkansas +9.5