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The debate about whether or not No. 10 Vanderbilt is “for real” is over.

The Commodores scored a massive win over LSU in Week 8, running their record to 6-1, and keeping their legitimate hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoff alive.

It may still take some getting used to, seeing Vanderbilt as one of the best teams in the country, but it’s happening.

And a win Saturday over No. 15 Missouri, another team that skeptics continue to doubt, with “College GameDay” in town would likely put Vandy three wins away from punching a ticket to the dance in December.

Vanderbilt and Indiana are grabbing most of the headlines, but don’t sleep on Missouri.

The Tigers went 21-5 in 2023 and 2024, and are well on their way to another massive campaign with six wins in their first seven games in 2025.

Like Vanderbilt, Missouri’s lone defeat this season came against Alabama.

The only difference is that the Tigers kept things close against the Tide, while the Commodores eventually fell off the boil in a 30-14 loss.

Also, like Vandy, Mizzou rebounded to its loss with an impressive win against an SEC opponent. The Tigers outlasted a better-than-its-record Auburn in overtime in Week 8.

The win was another feather in the cap for Eli Drinkwitz, who is a hot name on the coaching carousel these days, and further proof that Missouri is a team to be reckoned with and not just making up the numbers in the SEC.

According to SP+, the Tigers grade out as the eighth-best team in the country, boasting the 11th-best offense and No. 20-ranked defense.

That defense will be tested against Vandy’s prolific offense, but Mizzou’s attack should have some success against the Commodores’ defense, which is not on par with most of the other contenders in the SEC.

There is no doubting that Vanderbilt is legit. This team is nails.

But the problem is that they’re going up against a slightly better squad on Saturday, and the sentiment in the betting market is causing the price on Vandy to get out of whack.

The Play: Missouri +2.5 (-105, FanDuel)

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.