Missouri Kansas State Betting: Missouri Tries To Shore Up Its Season On The Road

The Missouri Tigers have absorbed two tough road defeats this season. The boys from Columbia will try to get things right this weekend when they pay a visit to Manhattan, Kansas.

Missouri Tigers @ Kansas State Wildcats - Saturday, October 8

Sports betting line: Missouri (-3 ½)

Why Missouri Will Win

The ranks of MLB baseball betting experts in the state of Missouri are currently focused on the St. Louis Cardinals, who are battling the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. However, if the Cardinals get knocked out of the playoffs in the coming days, those same Missouri-based experts might pay attention to this Big 12 battle between the Missouri football team and Kansas State’s gridiron gang.
Missouri’s path to victory lies in the legs of quarterback James Franklin. When Missouri took an early 10-point lead a few weeks ago against No. 2 Oklahoma – the Big 12 favorite this season – Franklin outflanked and outfoxed the Sooners with his scrambling and planned runs, often out of the shotgun formation. Kansas State is coming off a huge home-field win against Baylor, but the thing to appreciate about that contest is that Baylor passed the ball on a consistent basis and did not control the clock as much as it would have liked to. Since Franklin gives Missouri a strong running game from the quarterback spot – more so than Baylor signal caller Robert Griffin III – the Tigers can control the clock and dictate the tempo of this contest. They can keep their defense fresh and rested, which is important in the face of KSU’s multi-dimensional offense. Missouri’s balance, exemplified by Franklin’s willingness to run the ball, will keep Kansas State off guard. It will enable Missouri to play a physical game and outmuscle the homestanding Wildcats this upcoming weekend in the place known as “The Little Apple.”

Why Kansas State Will Win

When you place your sports bet on this contest, you need to realize something very simple: Kansas State took the best shot of a gifted quarterback last weekend, and still prevailed. Robert Griffin III of Baylor University had been crafting one of the best college football seasons in recent memory. Griffin entered last weekend’s game against K-State with more touchdown passes than incompletions. Against KSU, Griffin starred once more, hitting 23 of 31 passes for 346 yards and five touchdowns. However, the Wildcats were able to pluck one interception on the afternoon, and that was the one mistake Griffin could not afford to make. KSU took that interception and converted it into a field goal with 3:10 remaining in regulation to stun Baylor, 36-35, and make one of the more important statements of the young Big 12 season. If Kansas State can turn back Robert Griffin III, it can definitely hold off James Franklin, who isn’t close to Griffin as a passer. Kansas State’s defense should thrive as long as it can shut off Franklin’s running lanes this weekend.

Who Will Win

The sense here is that Missouri, which played well at Oklahoma even in a losing cause, is muscular enough in the trenches to move the ball on the ground. The Tigers will establish physical superiority, and while they won’t blow this game wide open, they will wear down Kansas State and grind out a 10-point win on the road.

College Football Betting Pick: Missouri