Missouri Tigers football vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: Prediction, betting line, TV
The details
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM, 980 AM)
The line: Missouri by 19
Prediction
Missouri opens the 2022 season with an opponent that wasn’t on the schedule until after last season. The Tigers were set to play at Middle Tennessee in the first game. But the Tigers, who visit Kansas State later this month, didn’t want three roadies among their first five games. Can’t be blamed for that.
Louisiana Tech from Conference USA provides the opposition. The Bulldogs are coming off a 3-9 season and replaced coaches with Sonny Cumbie taking over for Skip Holtz. With an Air Raid offense — Cumbie played for one of the scheme’s pioneers Mike Leach at Texas Tech — Louisiana Tech will provide a different look that what Missouri is used to seeing. Mizzou is going to see plenty of up-tempo offense.
But it shouldn’t matter. The Tigers should get off to a better start defensively than they did a year ago. Yes, Blake Baker is the third coordinator in three years, but he’s keeping a similar 4-2-5 alignment and eight players who have been starters at Mizzou are returning.
What can Missouri do against the Louisiana Tech defense? That should be the Tigers’ bigger advantage even with a quarterback in Brady Cook, who is making his second career start. Cook won’t hesitate to tuck it and run. He rushed for 53 yards in his start against Army in last season’s bowl game.
Mizzou should be stronger up front, have a solid corp of wide receivers and should be able to move the ball. Look for a comfortable Tigers’ victory to open the season.
Missouri 35, Louisiana Tech 14