It’s not a stretch to say that Week 4 of the 2022 college football season could be Bryan Harsin’s last go-round as head coach of Auburn football should his Tigers not find a way to subdue Mizzou at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the fourth of five home games to kick off the campaign.
At 2-1, with two less than stellar non-spread covering wins over (what should be) far inferior competition and coming off a 41-12 punishing at the hands of Penn State, Harsin’s Tigers are up against a wall.
In a way, so are Eli Drinkwitz’ Tigers from Central Missouri. Mizzou was mauled in their one Power Five matchup 40-12 against Kansas State — a loss that played out in similar fashion to Auburn’s to Penn State. The only difference is that the Nittany Lions could be in the National Championship picture as wins pile up, and Kansas State is already out of it after losing to Tulane this past weekend.
Both teams need a win, though Harsin’s job could be on the line with a loss considering AU’s status as a favorite this coming Saturday morning on the Plains. Will Drinkwitz come up with a Week 4 upset, or will Auburn head into their Week 5 matchup with LSU with a smidge of momentum this week?
Fly War Eagle has your odds and a prediction for Week 4 (All lines courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook):
Missouri vs. Auburn football Odds, Spread and Total
Spread:
Auburn: -7 (-110)
Missouri: +7 (-110)
Moneyline:
Auburn: -270
Missouri: +220
Total: 52 (Over -110/Under -110)
Missouri vs. Auburn prediction
With it being established that Auburn cannot afford a loss, and with this being on their homefield, it’s tempting to lay the seven and come away with nearly even odds. Doubly so due to Missouri’s weaknesses (offensive line play, run defense) matching up perfectly with Auburn’s strengths.
Great teams tend to cover, though, not just good ones. These Tigers may not even deserving of that label, but they do deserve enough confidence to project a win when it is needed most. Fire up those hot seat rumors again next week with Brian Kelly and LSU coming to town for their first taste of Jordan-Hare Stadium under the lights, but throw the Auburn football ML in a parlay this week.