Missouri vs. Kentucky Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 7

Kentucky and Missouri each lost their first game of the season, setting up a must-win situation for both teams as the hopes of a double-digit win season depend on it.

Missouri has been paced by an upstart offense around Brady Cook and Luther Burden, but the team will face the best defense it has seen this season in Kentucky. While the Wildcats just allowed 51 points to the two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs, the team hopes to get back on track against comparable competition.

Get a jump start on College Football Week 7 with college football betting expert Reed Wallach's best bets!

Here's our betting outlook for Kentucky vs. Missouri on Saturday in a battle of two teams jockeying for position in the SEC.

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Now, let's break down this game and find the best bet:

Missouri vs. Kentucky Odds, Spread and Total

Kentucky vs. Missouri Betting Trends

• Kentucky is 4-2 against the spread (ATS) this season
• Kentucky has covered three of four games this season
• Missouri is 3-3 ATS this season
• Missouri has gone OVER in five of six games this season
• Kentucky has gone OVER in four of six games this season

Missouri vs. Kentucky How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, October 14
• Game Time: 7:30 PM EST
• Venue: Kroger Field
• How to Watch (TV): SEC Network
• Missouri Record: 5-1
• Kentucky Record: 5-1

Missouri vs. Kentucky Key Players to Watch

Missouri

Brady Cook: Cook has turned into a high-level passer this season, throwing for over 300 yards in four consecutive games while throwing 13 touchdown passes on the year with only two interceptions. However, he did throw those two picks last week against LSU. He'll face a Kentucky defense that is vulnerable against the pass on the year, 117th in passing success rate allowed, so this can be a bounce-back spot for the Mizzou signal caller.

Kentucky

Devin Leary: The Wildcats were hopeful that landing a player of Leary's caliber in the transfer portal would bolster UK's SEC East hopes, but that hasn't been the case. The North Carolina State transfer has been working his way back from season-ending shoulder surgery last year and struggled against Georgia, completing 38% of his passes for 128 yards. This season, he has made nine big-time throws to seven turnover-worthy plays, per Pro Football Focus.

Missouri vs. Kentucky Prediction and Pick

While Leary's passing mechanics continue to be an issue for Kentucky's hopes of flirting with the SEC title game or even a New Year's Six bowl, the offensive play calling from Liam Coen has put the team in position to succeed.

UK is top 50 in net available yards as the team has been paced by a devastating run game, headlined by Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis. The Wildcats are 17th in EPA/Rush this season, according to gameonpaper.com, and Davis has been a monster, rushing for more than seven yards per carry with eight touchdowns.

While Missouri has been known for stout defenses in the past, this season's team has flipped the script. The team has allowed 27 or more to the three top 40 offenses it has faced this season. The Tigers have been prone to allowing explosive plays as well, rating 100th in EPA/Play despite being 47th in success rate. While the team is winning down-to-down, it's had lapses in coverage that have led to big plays for the opposition.

That being said, this is the best Missouri offense we have seen in some time, most certainly under head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. The team is 20th in EPA/Play with the growth of Cook as a passer and the emergence of Burden as a pass catcher. Burden has quickly become one of the best receivers in the sport, hauling in 53-of-57 targets for 776 yards with five touchdowns already this season.

I believe that this game is shaping up to be a points filled affair. I trust Coen to scheme up some easy downfield passes for Leary against a Missouri defense that has struggled against good competition while Missouri can keep pace with its vaunted passing game.

REED'S PICK: Over 52.5 Points

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Track Reed's bets here!