Saturday College Football Picks – Oklahoma St @ Missouri Odds and Predictions – Week 8 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

Week 8 Free College Football Picks and Spreads: Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Missouri Tigers 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on FX Saturday 10/22/11: Thanks to a 6-0 start and a high-powered offense, the sixth-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys have their sights set on a national title. However, Mike Gundy’s bunch will have to remain perfect to have any chance of playing in the title game, and a road test against the Missouri Tigers (3-3) this Saturday is a big hurdle. The Tigers are tough at home and are riding a 10-game winning streak in Columbia. The fact that the undefeated Cowboys enter the game as seven-point favorites against a .500 team is testament to how dangerous Missouri is.

The Tigers are 3-0 at home this season, and even their road losses haven’t been bad. Missouri fell by seven to Arizona State, 10 to Oklahoma and seven to Kansas State. Considering all three teams have been or are currently ranked in the top 25, the Tigers are certainly tested against top competition. At the very least, the Cowboys aren’t going to intimidate the Tigers.

Of course, nobody would blame Missouri for being intimidated by the Oklahoma State offense. The Cowboys are averaging just over 49 points per game and more than 550 yards of total offense, putting them second in the country. Quarterback Brandon Weeden can throw the deep ball as well as anyone, and while he may take a few more risks than the average QB, his big arm and field vision have helped the Oklahoma State spread, pass-heavy attack reach new heights. Star wide receiver Justin Blackmon is the best skill position player for the Cowboys, but Weeden has plenty of quality targets to work with.

That being said, the Tigers at least have an offense capable of competing in this matchup. Missouri average just over 35 points per game, along with nearly 500 yards of offense. While those numbers aren’t in the same class as the Cowboy’s, Missouri does rank in the top 15. Sophomore QB James Franklin has matured faster than mist expected, and he has emerged as a versatile playmaker this season. Franklin has 10 touchdown passes on the year to go along with seven rushing scores. Throw in fellow sophomore Henry Josey at running back, who is leading the Big 12 in rushing and averaging 9.5 yards per carry, and the Tigers have no shortage of weapons either.

More importantly, the Tigers own one of the most balanced attacks in the nation. On the year, Missouri has thrown for just over 1,500 yards, while rushing for more than 1,400. Being able to attack the Oklahoma State defense in a variety of ways will definitely be an advantage for the Tigers. After all, the Cowboys are among the 20 worst teams in the country in terms of giving up yardage. Oklahoma State is currently surrendering over 420 yards to opponents a game, which is nearly 100 yards more than the Tigers are allowing. Granted, the Cowboys have been effective at forcing turnovers, but Missouri will have opportunities to put plenty of points on the board, which is what it will take to compete against Oklahoma State.

This matchup has all the makings of a trap game for the Cowboys. Missouri may be 3-3, but they don’t have a bad loss and haven’t lost by more than 10 all year, and they haven’t lost at home all year. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State’s defense has given up 26 or more points in four straight games, and the unit has yet to see a player that offers the mismatches that Franklin does or a running back as explosive as Josey. The Cowboys may pull out a victory, but this game should go down to the wire.

Prediction: Missouri Tigers (+7) Cover the Spread

Free College Football Picks and NCAAF Predictions: Missouri +7 to cover the spread

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