3 Bold Predictions: No. 9 Missouri versus No. 25 Texas A&M

With September’s full slate of fixtures now in the rearview mirror, October is here with land mines aplenty. Top 25 ranked matchups will be coming thick and fast throughout autumn’s most colorful month.

Come Halloween, the CFP landscape will be made much clearer as many title pretenders will have fallen out of contention — SEC and B10 could be in for big shakeups. 

We begin this spooky time of the season with Texas A&M welcoming Missouri to College Station. Having already suffered a loss this season, A&M will be in survival mode as the Aggies are set to face their second Top 10 opponent of the season — the other being Notre Dame in a 23-13 loss. 

Meanwhile, Mizzou remains unbeaten heading into this Top 25 clash after sneaking past Vanderbilt in overtime two weeks ago. So without further ado, here are three bold predictions for Missouri versus Texas A&M:

Le’Veon Moss to Rush for 100 Yards and 1 TD

Texas A&M is at its best offensively when the Aggies can successfully pound the rock. This Saturday I expect them to do just that against Missouri, courtesy of Le’Veon Moss. 

The former consensus Top 100 recruit, according to 247Sports Composite, has been playing with aplomb. Coming into this Saturday, Moss is averaging 94.2 yards per game — 113.5 yards per game against SEC competition. 

The combination of speed — Moss was a track athlete at Istrouma High School — and power — Moss routinely picks up extra yardage after contact — makes Le’Veon a handful to deal with for opposing defenses. 

With that said, Moss is in the midst of a scoring drought. The Baton Rouge native hasn’t hit pay-dirt since scoring twice against McNeese State in Week 2.  

This weekend, however, Moss’ endzone fortunes will change. Not only will the Aggie hit the century mark for rushing yards, but he’ll scamper for a score as well.

Taking the Under (48.5 Total Points, BetMGM)

As aforementioned, the Aggies are at their best when they can effectively run the football, which I believe that they’ll do against Missouri. In turn, A&M will keep the clock steadily moving. 

In addition, the Aggies' defense will be physically stout up front and aggressive throughout all three phases. As such, Mizzou will struggle to sustain drives and score points. 

Lastly, the two ranked versus ranked games involving A&M and Mizzou this year finished under 48.5 points — Aggies played to a combined 40 points with Notre Dame whilst the Tigers teamed up with Boston College to accrue 48 points. 

For these reasons, I’m taking the under in this fixture between SEC foes. 

Aggies to Cover (BetMGM: Texas A&M -2.5 Pts)

Ranked No. 25 and with a loss, Texas A&M is in a must-win situation. As such, the Aggies will be dialed in and ready to put their stamp on this season with a top-10 win at home against Missouri. 

Not only will A&M perform up to its potential on the field, but the Aggies’ famed ‘12th Man’ will play its part as well. Kyle Field — known for providing a raucously imposing atmosphere — will have quarterback Brady Cook and his Tigers offense overwhelmed at times. In turn, penalties and turnovers are sure to follow.

Couple A&M’s defensive dominance with Moss’ ground-and-pound approach on the offensive side of the ball, and Texas A&M has a recipe for success Saturday afternoon. 

Therefore, I’m taking the Aggies to beat the Tigers and cover the 2.5 points in the process. 

Watch: No. 9 Missouri vs No. 25 Texas A&M | 12:00 p.m. ET | ABC

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