After splitting his 10 picks right down the middle last week, Scott Bogman returns with his Week 11 best bets and predictions.
Week 10 results: 5-5
2022 Season Record: 58-42
Check out Thor Nystrom's Week 11 College Football Power Rankings >>
#5 Tennessee vs Missouri OVER 56.5
So, Tennessee is human after all! It may have been a little unfair to ask them to beat Georgia, but it seemed that anything was possible after beating Alabama. Instead, we saw the Volunteers go down to Georgia and only put up 13 points. For a team averaging over 50 points per game, that was an embarrassing performance and the only time they have scored fewer than 34 points in a game.''
The silver lining from the loss to Alabama is that now Tennessee is on the outside looking in for the CFP, so they will want to put up impressive numbers to show their dominance and prove that the loss was a blip on the radar. Tennessee is still averaging 45 points per game and, while they may not get to that against a strong Missouri defense, I think they'll get to at least 34 again, as that was their previous low.
QB Hendon Hooker is still the leader of this team that is 2nd in total offense and passing while also averaging over 180 yards on the ground. Missouri is playing well defensively, allowing just over 21 points per game and they are top-15 in total yards allowed per game. I just feel like Georgia, specifically when DL Jalen Carter plays, is a step above everyone else in the Country. Tennessee put up 49 on Alabama which ranks better statistically and in PFF grade than Missouri.
Tennessee has been improving on the defensive side of the ball but is still 127th against the pass. Some of that is because they are stomping most teams into the ground and those teams are trying to come back down the stretch. In PFF grade, the Vols are a hair away from triple digits and the rushing grade is MUCH different than the rushing stats.'
Missouri isn't considered a strong offensive team and the stats and grades back that up. They mustered up 22 against Georgia and we won't need them to score a ton with Tennessee doing the heavy lifting. Missouri has had a knack for keeping the scores low and keeping themselves in games this season.
Missouri is 5-4 ATS and has only hit the Over once this season. That was in their first game! I just feel like this total is way too low. Tennessee has scored at least 40 points in 6 of their 10 games, and I think that is the minimum they'll score here. So, we would only need Missouri to score 17 points.'
This game is going to boil down to how Tennessee responds to the first piece of adversity they have encountered. The Vols are still VERY alive in the playoff picture, and I expect them to get the majority of this total in a bounce-back dismantling of Missouri!