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Missouri vs Ohio State Cotton Bowl Prediction & Picks: What Can Brown Do for the Buckeyes?

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Missouri vs Ohio State 2023 Cotton Bowl Prediction, Odds & Picks 12/29/2023 cover

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Outside of the College Football Playoff, there are two bowl games with matchups featuring two top-ten teams. The first of those two games will take place tonight as #9 Missouri and #7 Ohio State meet in the 2023 Cotton Bowl (8:00 pm ET, ESPN).

After four consecutive seasons without a winning record, the Tigers (10-2, 6-2 SEC) burst back onto the national scene this season, losing only to LSU and Georgia on the way to reaching a New Year’s Six Bowl for the first time in the CFP era.

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A New Year’s Six bowl is a major achievement for Missouri, who is playing in the Cotton Bowl for the first time since the 2013 season, when they went 12-2 and finished fifth in the final AP poll after defeating Oklahoma State.

However, a New Year’s Six bowl is a major disappointment for Ohio State, who is missing out on the CFP for just the second time in six seasons. The Buckeyes were undefeated and in the CFP hunt until falling at rival Michigan, their third straight loss to the Wolverines.

Will falling short of the CFP affect Ohio State’s motivation for the Cotton Bowl? Motivation isn’t the only concern, as the exit of former starting quarterback Kyle McCord means that sophomore Devin Brown will make his first collegiate start.

Missouri vs Ohio State 2023 Cotton Bowl graphic

Missouri vs Ohio State Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our Bovada review.

Spread

Missouri +4.5 (-110)
Ohio State -4.5 (-110)

Over/Under

Over 49 (-115)
Under 49 (-105)

Moneyline

Missouri +165
Ohio State -195

2023 Season Results for Missouri (10-2, 6-2 SEC)

vs South Dakota: won 35-10
vs Middle Tennessee: won 23-19
vs Kansas State: won 30-27
(St. Louis, MO) vs Memphis: won 34-27
at Vanderbilt: won 38-21
vs LSU: lost 49-39
at Kentucky: won 38-21
vs South Carolina: won 34-12
at Georgia: lost 30-21
vs Tennessee: won 36-7
vs Florida: won 33-31
at Arkansas: won 48-14

2023 Season Results for Ohio State (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten)

at Indiana: won 23-3
vs Youngstown State: won 35-7
vs Western Kentucky: won 63-10
at Notre Dame: won 17-14
vs Maryland: won 47-17
at Purdue: won 41-7
vs Penn State: won 20-12
at Wisconsin: won 24-10
at Rutgers: won 35-16
vs Michigan State: won 38-3
vs Minnesota: won 37-3
at Michigan: lost 30-24

Missouri vs Ohio State Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Missouri to win

It remains to be seen whether or not Heisman Trophy finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. will suit up one more time for the Buckeyes before he makes the jump to the NFL, but it would seem unlikely that he does, given what other top NFL Draft prospects have done or will do.

If for some reason Harrison does elect to play, that will be a big, big boost for the green Brown, who has completed 12 of 22 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns (with one interception) this season but hasn’t thrown a pass since October 14.

If Harrison doesn’t play, the Buckeyes will at least have WR Emeka Egbuka and TE Cade Stover, as well as RB TreVeyon Henderson, as all three elected to play.

Even though OSU will have a strong personnel group on both sides of the ball, I’m still going with the upset in this one.

I do wonder about Ohio State’s level of motivation because they missed out on the CFP, but my choice to ride with the Tigers is based more on the fact that I just really like what Missouri has done this season.

To this point, their only losses are to Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and LSU–in a game in which they led 22-7 at one point–and at Georgia, who struggled mightily to put Mizzou away in Athens.

Missouri vs Ohio State Picks: Missouri +4.5 & Missouri Team Total Over 23.5 Points (Both lines at Bovada – Bet these lines and get a 75% WELCOME BONUS if your first deposit is via crypto)

Bonus Prop Pick: Devin Brown Over 223.5 Passing Yards (-114 at BetOnline – Bet this play and get a 100% BONUS if on your first cryptocurrency deposit)

Henderson is playing, but Ohio State’s run game has not flourished like it does in most years. In fact, the Buckeyes, who rank fifth in the Big Ten in yards per attempt, are poised to finish outside of the top two in the Big Ten in that category for the first time since 2018.

Harrison or no Harrison, I think this is a very reachable target for Brown, especially if the Buckeyes have to play catch-up or are in a close contest all game long.

Where to Bet on Missouri vs Ohio State and Other College Football Games

Most top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of college football odds throughout the season, including on the two CFP semifinal matchups between Michigan and Alabama and Washington and Texas.

In addition to being able to make weekly college football picks all the way from Week Zero to the College Football Playoff National Championship, you can also bet on Heisman Trophy odds, conference championship odds, win totals, and much more.

There are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for college football betting. Below are some of the books that we highly recommend:

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

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Missouri vs Ohio State Cotton Bowl Prediction & Picks: What Can Brown Do for the Buckeyes?

Bet Missouri vs Ohio State and Other College Football Games at Bovada