Missouri win total odds placed at 5.5 for 2022 season by Las Vegas

The Missouri Tigers are coming off a 6-7 season which was decimated by injuries across the roster. However, despite reaching the six-win threshold to become bowl eligible in the regular season, Eli Drinkwitz’s squad comes in as the underdog once again according to the Las Vegas sportsbooks.

Vegas Insider has placed the 2022 win total for Missouri at 5.5 this season, putting them right on the edge of bowl eligibility once again.

In two seasons under Drinkwitz, the Tigers are 11-12 overall, again supporting the decision to put them right on the line of a winning or losing season. Competing in the SEC, and beyond that the rapidly improving SEC East, wins are never easy to find on the schedule. In addition to their conference slate, Missouri adds an old rivalry matchup with Kansas State to its non-conference schedule.

After finishing 3-5 in the conference last year, Missouri loses leaders on offense and defense with draft entries and transfer portal departures. Drinkwitz also used the transfer portal to his advantage with some key additions along with a top 20 recruiting class headlined by five-star wide receiver Luther Burden.

Eli Drinkwitz on transfer portal

As coaches across the college football landscape weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of the transfer portal, along with how NIL deals impact the decisions each player makes, Missouri’s head coach has a unique perspective. Eli Drinkwitz discussed earlier this year how watching Tyler Badie’s career play out influences his thought process.

“I don’t necessarily like that everybody on your roster is a free agent at the end of the year,” said Drinkwitz. “And I think anytime you have 85 players on your team that were probably the best players on their high school team, there’s gonna be some growing pains. There’s gonna be some developmental pains.

“If players stick to it they can develop into great players. Look for us – Tyler Badie last year – waited his turn to play as a senior. Didn’t transfer. Didn’t go to the portal. Turns out, sets a single season record, having a hell of a Senior Bowl down there this week. And is gonna be a player that put himself in a position to play at the next level for a long time. That’s just a tribute to him and sticking to it.”

Missouri will look for more breakout performances in 2022 as they hope to overachieve what Las Vegas oddsmakers project on their way to another bowl game appearance.