What needs to happen for No. 11 Florida to keep their slim SEC East title hopes alive is simple. The Gators need a victory on the road at Missouri and a loss by Georgia to Auburn on Saturday. Florida will have to take care of business against Missouri to fulfill its portion of the equation. UF throttled Vanderbilt last weekend behind a potent passing attack, and boast one of the best defenses in the nation. Will that be enough to hold serve and get a big road win?
Let's break down the matchup and make picks straight up and against the spread.
Storylines
Florida: The Gators defense has given up just 308.2 yards per game this season and 263 yards per game during the month of November. They lead the SEC with 3.5 sacks per game and are second in red zone defense (61.54 percent). Trask lit up Vanderbilt with a career high 363 yards passing and has topped the 200-yard mark through the air in five straight games. The rushing attack has been a bit of a let down all season, but got right last week when they averaged 5.17 yards per carry. That'll have to continue against a Missouri rushing defense that has give up just 3.78 yards per carry.
Missouri: Quarterback Kelly Bryant should return after sitting out last week's game and needs to provide a spark against the stout Gators defense. Bryant has thrown for 1,845 yards and 14 touchdowns, and added 205 yards and one score on the ground. Running back Larry Rountree is dealing with a minor toe issue, but has been the most reliable weapon in the Tigers backfield this season with 668 yards and eight touchdowns. The Tigers have been driven by a defense that has given up just 287.8 yards per game and have only allowed 400 or more yards once this season.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 16 | Time: Noon ET
Location: Memorial Stadium at Faurot Field -- Columbia, Missouri
TV: CBS | Connected TV: CBS All-Access
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Game prediction, picks
The Tigers have scored just three touchdowns over the last three games, and two of those games were losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Will Bryant's return suddenly change that against the fast and physical Gators defense? Absolutely not. Trask will be smart with the football, the defense will shut the Tigers down and the Gators will cruise to an easy road victory. Pick: Florida (-8.5)
So which picks can you make with confidence in Week 12? And which line is way off? Visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $4,000 in profit over the past four seasons.
