Game Information
Missouri Tigers (0-0) vs Central Arkansas Bears (0-0)
Time: 6:30pm CT Thursday
How to watch: SEC Network
DraftKings Odds
Spread: Mizzou -37.5
Total: 51.5
The Missouri Tigers kick off their season tonight when they host the Central Arkansas Bears.
The Tigers start the year with a win total of 7.5 on DraftKings with the over at +120 and the under at -140. They will almost certainly get win #1 tonight, but will they cover the big spread of 37.5?
All eyes will be on the Mizzou quarterbacks tonight as the competition for the starting job comes down to the wire between Beau Pribula and Sam Horn. Pribula is expected to play the first half with Horn getting the second half.
Both quarterbacks should be able to light it up against an FCS school in Central Arkansas that went 6-6 last season and had a losing record in the United Athletic Conference at 3-5.
Often in a game like this, the favorite gets out to a big lead and takes their foot off the gas in the second half, which leads to scoring slowing down as the game rolls on.
But I’m not so sure we are going to see that tonight.
I think both Pribula and Horn are going to be playing like their job depends on it - because it does.
If Eli Drinkwitz truly is undecided on who the starting quarterback is going to be next week against Kansas, then he needs to be willing to use the full playbook for both quarterbacks and give them a fair shake.
So if Pribula plays well and leads Mizzou to a big halftime lead, I don’t expect the Tigers to run the ball 25 times in the second half just to run out the clock. I think Horn will get ample opportunities to throw the ball and show off his skill set to put his best foot forward in the QB competition.
Because of that, I don’t expect the Tigers to take their foot off the gas early like you typically would in a game like this. Mizzou should dominate defensively and hold Central Arkansas to 10 or fewer points, and I could see the Tigers hanging 50 on the Bears with two quarterbacks eager to win the starting job. So if you’re going to bet this game, I think taking Mizzou to cover is the best way to go.
Lean: Mizzou -37.5 at -108 on DraftKings
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Wednesday night on the STL Sports Central YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Picks = betting the game - minus odds betting to win 1 unit, plus odds risking 1 unit. Leans = no strong opinion, not betting the game. Disclaimer