This is about the point of the college football season where we separate the contenders from the pretenders, while also leaving some room for teams that we aren’t quite sure about just yet.
It seems like most of the college football world believes that No. 23 Missouri (3-0) falls in the latter category.
Frankly, I don’t know what else Missouri needs to do to change that mindset.
The Tigers are an ascending power in college football. They’re 3-0 to start 2025, and are coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 10 wins.
It still feels like the college football world is cautious about putting Mizzou in the same tier as the SEC powerhouses, which seems a bit odd considering how quick everybody was to say that Florida was back or that South Carolina could be a sleeper this season.
Speaking of the Gamecocks, they’re coming off an embarrassing 24-point loss to Vanderbilt at home and quarterback LaNorris Sellers is banged up.
The injury report suggests Sellers is probable to play at Mizzou, but he won’t be 100 percent, and the Gamecocks would be lost if he has to abandon ship early for the second week in a row.
This number may seem like a bit much at first glance, but I think it’s the type of price that you need to pay for one of the best teams in the SEC at home.
The Pick: MISSOURI (-10) vs. South Carolina
MISSISSIPPI STATE (-21.5) over Northern Illinois
How about a pat on the back for Mississippi State?
No banners will be raised for an SEC team going 3-0 with wins over Southern Miss, Arizona State and Alcorn State, but let’s remember where the Bulldogs stood just a few weeks ago.
Picked by just about everyone to foot the table in the SEC again in 2025, the Bulldogs have shown some teeth out of the gates.
That rang especially true in the win over Arizona State, one of the favorites to win the Big 12 after taking the title in 2024.
Betting on College Football?
The fanbase around Starkville has been waiting for a chance to rally around their beloved football team, which should lead to a terrific environment for a game against a MAC team.
The Bulldogs should show out before things get tough with the SEC portion of their schedule set to begin in Week 5.
Georgia State (+27.5) over VANDERBILT
Perhaps Clark Lea and No. 20 Vanderbilt are not the type of team that would be susceptible to a letdown spot, but it does seem like the betting market is getting a little carried away after the Commodores spanked South Carolina, 31-7, to vault into the Top 25.
Georgia State is closer to the bottom than the middle when it comes to teams in the Group of 5, but they’ve got a chance to keep this from becoming a laugher thanks to how Vanderbilt prefers to play.
The Commodores are a methodical offense that rushes the ball 61.2 percent of the time, so the clock should be moving, which is always a good thing when you’re getting this many points.
Last week: 1-2
2025 record: 7-2
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
