Gasparilla Bowl Betting Odds: Can Missouri Pass-Happy Wake Forest?

Missouri Going After First Bowl Victory Since 2014

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Missouri Tigers took much different paths to the Gasparilla Bowl matchup.

Wake Forest, coming off a run to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, started off the season by winning six of its first seven games to become bowl eligible before the end of October. The Demon Deacons stumbled down the stretch, dropping four of the last five contests with three of the defeats coming by single digits. Still, the Gasparilla Bowl betting odds list Wake Forest as a slight favorite.

Missouri needed to hold Arkansas to two field goals in the second half to edge the Razorbacks 29-27 in the regular-season finale to become bowl eligible.

Wake Forest opened as a three-point favorite and now the Demon Deacons are favored by just one point.

Game Information

Homecoming for Wake Forest Stars

If the game comes down to the play of the standouts returning to their native Florida, give the edge to Wake Forest and that could be factored into the Wake Forest vs Missouri odds.

Star receiver A.T. Perry (70 catches, 980 yards), leading tackler Ryan Smenda Jr. (106 tackles, five tackles for loss), offensive lineman Je’Vionte’ Nash as well as defensive linemen Tyler Williams (23 tackles, four tackles for loss) and Dion Bergan (18 tackles) are among the Florida natives on the Wake Forest roster.

For Missouri, defensive back Marcus Clarke and defensive lineman Johnny Walker Jr. are the most productive of the Sunshine State products on the roster.

Wake Forest receiver Jahmal Banks is questionable for the game. He is third on the Demon Deacons with 39 catches and 564 yards while his eight TD receptions are the second most for Wake Forest.

Running back Michael Cox and offensive lineman E.J. Ndoma-Ogar are questionable for Missouri.

Tightening Things Up

The last two games of the regular season will not show up on the defensive highlight tape for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest allowed more than seven yards per play in a 45-35 win over Syracuse and a 34-31 loss to Duke. Even with the loss to the Blue Devils, the Gasparilla Bowl betting odds favor the Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest managed just one sack in the loss to Duke. It was the sixth game in a row that the Demon Deacons came up with no more than one takeaway. Wake Forest is a turnover margin of +8 in the seven wins and -11 in the five losses.

Ten of the 20 Wake Forest players with at least 20 tackles are either freshmen or sophomores, so that has led to some inconsistent play.

Quarterback Sam Hartman went from running for 11 touchdowns a season ago to just one in 2022. He has 74 TD passes and 25 interceptions over the last two seasons and it is looking like he will be playing in the bowl game even as the list of players opting out of bowl games is growing, seemingly by the hour.

Putting Up a Fight

Opposing offenses couldn’t wait to take the field against Missouri last season as the Tigers allowed the second-most yards in the SEC. Missouri went from giving up 435 yards and 6.38 yards per play to surrendering 337 and 5.26 yards per play in 2022. Now the Gasparilla Bowl betting odds list Missouri as a slight underdog.

Missouri returned seven of its top eight tacklers so the hard lessons learned a season ago paid off. The Tigers held opponents to 24 points or less in eight games this season after accomplishing the feat just three times in 2021. Facing the high-powered Wake Forest will be quite the challenge for the much-improved Missouri defense.

Missouri struggled against the pass in a loss to Tennessee. If that game is removed from the equation, Missouri has allowed 163 passing yards per game over a six-game stretch and three times opponents failed to complete at least 60% of their passes.

On offense, quarterback Brady Cook did not throw an interception in his last five games and is also the second-leading rusher on the team.

Missouri not only leads the SEC with 90 tackles for loss, but the Tigers have also allowed an SEC-high 91 TFLs.

Back in Sunshine State

This will be the second year in a row that Wake Forest’s season will end by playing a bowl game in Florida after topping Rutgers in the Gator Bowl last season. It will be the fifth bowl game for Wake Forest played in Florida.

Missouri is seeking to snap a three-game losing streak in bowl games.

Both teams are 7-5 against the spread this season. However, there are a combined 5-5 against the college football point spreads away from home.

Wake Forest has covered in just one of its last five games while Missouri is 5–1 against the spread in the last six games when listed as the underdog.

The total opened at 63 and has since moved to 61 as money has been coming in for the game to go under the total.

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