Cotton Bowl Pick: Missouri vs. Ohio State 12/29/23

Missouri Tigers (10-2 SU, ATS 8-3) vs Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1 SU, ATS 6-3-2)

Date: 8:00 EST Friday, December 29th

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: MU +2.5/OSU -2.5 (Did you know that you can bet on games at -105 odds instead of the more expensive -110 that you’re betting into? Start saving big money by switching to BAS!)

Money Line: MO +117/Ohio St -144

Over/Under: 49.5

The Missouri Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes will battle it out in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The over/under for this matchup is currently 49.5, while Ohio State is favored by -2.5.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

Missouri and Ohio State did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, Missouri has a record of 2-1. Against the spread, Missouri went 2-1 in these matchups. On the over/under, the teams went 1-2, combining for 72 points per contest.

Missouri Tigers Recent Form:

The Missouri Tigers are heading into this week’s game with an above .500 record of 10-2. In their most recent game, they added a win to their record by taking down Arkansas (48-14).

Going into the game, Missouri was favored by 9.5 and went on to cover the spread. The team’s combined 62 points surpassed the over/under line of 54.5.

In Missouri’s win over Arkansas, quarterback Brady Cook had two touchdowns through the air and added one touchdown on the ground. Throughout the game, he threw for a total of 112 yards while achieving a completion rate of 60.0%.

Cody Schrader was Missouri’s leading rusher vs. Arkansas, carrying the ball 27 times for 217 yards and one touchdown. In the passing game, Luther Burden III finished with a team-high 55 receiving yards while averaging 9.2 yards per reception.

Defensively, Missouri allowed a total of 225 yards to Arkansas. This includes giving up 127 yards allowed on the ground and 98 passing yards. The Missouri defense holds the 81st position in points allowed, allowing 22.3 points per game. Teams have an average of 222.4 passing yards per game against them (88th nationally). In terms of rushing, they’ve given up 124.8 rushing yards, placing them 46th in college football.

Away Injury Report

Ohio State Buckeyes Recent Form:

Ohio State’s overall record fell to 11-1 following their recent defeat to Michigan. The Buckeyes came up short in the game, with a final score of 30-24.

Looking at the over/under in this matchup, the line was 46, and with their 54 points, the over hit. Against the spread, Ohio State went into the game as 3-point underdogs, giving them an ATS and straight-up loss.

Quarterback Kyle McCord threw for two touchdowns in Ohio State’s loss over Michigan. Overall, he had a passer rating of 84.17 while completing 60.0% of his passes for 271 yards.

TreVeyon Henderson carried the ball 19 times against Michigan, leading the team with 60 yards and one touchdown. The team’s leading receiver was Marvin Harrison Jr., who contributed one touchdown and caught five balls for 118 yards.

Ohio State’s defense gave up 216 yards of offense vs. Michigan. In the passing game, they allowed 147 yards, while on the ground, they gave up 69 yards. Defensively, the Buckeyes enter the game with 22 sacks and ranked 1st in QB hurries. They’ve allowed 11 points per game thus far this season (49th). In terms of pass defense, they’re 11th in the NCAA, giving up 147.5 passing yards per game. Against the run, Ohio State has allowed 112.7 rushing yards per contest thus far.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• Missouri is 8-2 in their last ten games road games.
• Ohio State is 0-2-1 ATS in their last home games.
• Ohio State is 1-2 in their last three games as underdogs.
• Missouri is 5-5 in their last ten games as the favorite.

Free Pick

The Buckeyes finished with the second-best scoring defense this season allowing just 11.4 points per game. On the other side of the ball, Ohio State is going with a backup QB coming off an injury making his first career start. Take Mizz +2.5.