Tennessee football: Vols, SEC and top 25 predictions for Week 14 of 2019
Missouri Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks
Line: Missouri -12.5; Over/Under: 54.5; TV: CBS
Friday, Nov. 29 at 2:30 p.m. ET; War Memorial Stadium; Little Rock, Ark.
Just like the Egg Bowl, this was supposed to be another game in which one team was playing for bowl eligibility. Similar to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the Missouri Tigers took a hit with those hopes by losing to Tennessee football. They also lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores and Wyoming Cowboys, to be fair.
However, Mizzou’s bowl ban was upheld by the NCAA just this week. Barry Odom and his team were robbed by that decision, and it has changed the complexion of this game. So at 5-6, they are playing for just as much as their opponent, the Arkansas Razorbacks.
After firing Chad Morris and then having a bye, the Hogs did show some motivation under Barry Lunney last week against the LSU Tigers. But they still lost 56-20, even if they covered. They are now 2-9, and given everything that has happened, a chance to beat Mizzou to close out the season would be a nice thing to happen in a horrible year.
Prediction
Sorry, but Arkansas is just that bad. Missouri hasn’t won on the road yet, and they slipped up against Vandy. This time, though, they will be taking the game much more seriously. And since it’s Kelly Bryant’s last game with no bowl hopes on the table, they will be motivated to prove a point. Derek Dooley’s offense comes back to life in a blowout win.