For the fourth straight season the Missouri Tigers and the Illinois Fighting Illini will open the season against each other. The game will be be played at Edward Jones Dome, the home field of the St. Louis Rams. This will be the sixth time the two teams have squared off since moving to a neutral site, with Missouri winning the previous five games, including a 37-9 blowout win last year.

The Tigers head into the 2010 season off a solid 8-5 run in 2009, and will look to take over the top spot in the Big 12 North with 16 starters back. Illinois really struggled to get things going in 2009, as they finished the season 3-9 overall and were just 2-6 in Big Ten play. The Illini have just 12 starters back for the 2010 season, so it will be a big surprise if they are able to finish with a winning record this season.

Looking to do some college football betting on the game today? The oddsmakers currently has the Tigers as 11-point favorites over the Fighting Illini, with the total currently sitting at 53.5 points.

The Fighting Illini will turn the offense over to red-shirt freshman quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, as they lose one of the most productive quarterbacks in school history in Juice Williams.

That doesn’t mean the freshman won’t have a good season, as he is a much better passer than Williams was, and he also has the mobility to scramble out of the pocket and run the ball. The defense did not play well in 2009, allowing just over 30 points a game, but with seven starters back they should be a little better in 2010.

The Tigers figure to have one of the more explosive offenses in the Big 12 this season behind junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert and senior running back Derrick Washington. Gabbert does lose his top two threats in the passing game, but I don’t think it will slow this unit down.

The defense had just four starters back in 2009, but still managed to improve off their 2008 performance, and with eight starters back this year, I think they will make even more strides on this side of the ball. If you want to know my opinion on other games this weekend, take a look at our latest college football articles.


Looking at the Odds: Hard not to like the Tigers in this one, as Missouri has won by an average of 13 points in the last five meetings. The Tigers also look like they are much more talented on both sides of the ball. Last year Gabbert tore apart the Illini defense completing 25-33 attempts for 319 yards and three scores.

I also like the over in this one, as these two teams have a pretty good history of putting a lot of points on the board when they square off. In 2008 they combined for 94 points, and with both teams looking like they should be better than they were a year ago, I think the OVER is a pretty safe bet.

If you are looking to beat the college football odds this season, be sure to make your way back for our expert college football picks each week from the best handicappers in the business.