Missouri comes in as a small favorite vs Virginia in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Can Mizzou get a 9th win to end the year?
The Missouri Tigers (8-4) close out their 2025 campaign in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Virginia Cavaliers next Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida (6:30 p.m. CST on ABC).
Mizzou opened up as a 6.5-point favorite, but due to some significant injuries and multiple players entering the transfer portal — the Tigers will be without some key contributors in this one. Per our partners over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the line has shifted a little bit as Mizzou is down to 4.5-point favorites.
Freshman quarterback Matt Zollers has been named the starting quarterback for Mizzou — giving him an opportunity to beat a ranked team.
Virginia (10-3) comes in ranked No. 19 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings fresh off of their ACC Championship loss to Duke.
This should be a competitive game and perhaps one of the most entertaining non-playoff games. Per our latest SBN Reacts survey, Mizzou fans like the Tigers’ chances to grab a Gator Bowl win against a good ACC opponent.
While bowl games are tough to predict and don’t carry as much weight as they once did, Missouri should be plenty motivated in this one. A win would give Mizzou 30 wins in the last three seasons — which would be the most in program history.
Category: General Sports
