Missouri Tigers (7-2, 3-2 in Big 12) +5, O/U 50 at Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-3, 3-2), noon Eastern Saturday, ABC regional
by Predictem.com Staff
The Missouri Tigers meet up with the Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday afternoon in Lincoln in the game that could well decide the Big 12 North’s berth in the conference championship game.
These two teams are tied atop the Big 12 North at 3-2, one game ahead of third-place Kansas State.
Both teams also lost last week, Missouri 26-10 at home to Oklahoma and Nebraska 41-29 at Oklahoma State.
Both teams are also 5-3 against the spread this season. The Tigers are 2-1 straight up and 1-2 ATS on the road, while the Huskers are 4-1 SU and 3-1 vs. the number at home.
Led by 246 yards rushing and 234 yards passing by the great Brad Smith, Mizzou beat Nebraska 41-24 as three-point home dogs last season. The Tigers outgained the Huskers 523-279 and held Nebraska to about 40 yards rushing (excluding sacks). The game went over its posted total of 52.
This season, Mizzou returned 15 starters from a team that went 7-4 overall, 4-4 in the Big 12 and beat South Carolina 38-31 in the Independence Bowl.
The Huskers also returned 15 starters from their team that went 8-4 overall, 4-4 in the Big 12 and rallied to upset Michigan 32-28 in the Alamo Bowl.
These two teams have played one common opponent this season. Missouri beat Kansas State 41-21 two weeks ago as 14-point home chalk, while Nebraska beat the Wildcats in Manhattan 21-3 as nine-point road favorites three weeks ago. In those games, K State outrushed the Tigers 262-171, but the Huskers outgrounded the Cats 190-22.
Three of Nebraska’s six wins this season have come against Louisiana Tech, Nicholls State and Troy. The Cornhuskers three losses this season came at USC by a score of 28-10, as five-point home dogs vs. Texas 22-20 (in a game the Huskers basically handed away), and last week at Oklahoma State.
Besides last weeks 26-10 loss to the Sooners as one-point home chalk, Mizzous other setback came at Texas A&M 25-19 as one-point road dogs three weeks ago.
Nebraska senior QB Zac Taylor, who’s made 21 starts for the Cornhuskers, has completed 62% of his passes this season and owns an 18/3 TD/INT ratio. Nebraska is 14-7 straight up with Taylor as the starter and 11-8 against the spread.
The Huskers are outgaining their opponents on the ground by a 189-120 YPG average. But Nebraska has been outrushed in three of its five Big 12 games so far this season.
Mizzou soph QB Chase Daniels, who took over as the starter this season from the great Brad Smith, is hitting at a 65% completion rate and owns a 19/8 TD/INT ratio.
The Tigers are outrushing foes by a 155-123 YPG average, but have been outgained on the ground in four of their five conference games.
The Sagarin PREDICTOR ratings at USAToday.com rank the Huskers 25th at 80.3, Mizzou 26th at 80.1.
Nebraska opened up as 6-point chalk for this game, but that number has been bet down to 5 and less at some sportsbooks.