The lone bowl game on Thursday features the 7-5 Bears taking on the 6-6 Red Wolves at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN2.
SBR's Rob Paul shares his his best bets in his Missouri State vs Arkansas State prediction:
Arkansas State Moneyline (-110 Caesars)
"Missouri State's first season at the FBS level went so well that head coach Ryan Beard got hired by Coastal Carolina. With Beard gone, several key pieces to the Bears' success are in the transfer portal, including their two best offensive linemen.
Butch Jones' program should be able to take advantage and pressure Missouri State QB Jacob Clark enough to keep him in check - the Red Wolves rank top 15 in the Group of Six in sacks (31).
Meanwhile, Arkansas State's got enough playmakers with Jaylen Raynor at QB to outscore the Bears and win a second straight bowl game."
Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State: Anytime TD (+110 bet365)
"The most accomplished receiver in Arkansas State history is poised to go out with a bang against a Missouri State defense down three of its top defensive linemen. That should give Raynor plenty of time in the pocket to find his favorite target for a score in the Xbox Bowl.
Corey Rucker, the program's all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (26), is the focal point of the Red Wolves' offense, and that shouldn't change. He's No. 6 in the country in targets (113) and has seen double-digit targets in seven of his last eight games, which included scoring twice in the regular-season finale against Appalachian State.
Rucker is averaging 8.4 receptions for 107.7 yards on 13 targets per game over his last eight outings. Given his workload and connection with Raynor, I expect him to get plenty of opportunities to score against a program ranked No. 110 in defensive SP+."
Missouri State vs. Arkansas State odds: Xbox Bowl
Missouri State vs. Arkansas State betting trends
SBR's Rob Paul shares his his best bets in his Missouri State vs Arkansas State prediction:
Arkansas State Moneyline (-110 Caesars)
"Missouri State's first season at the FBS level went so well that head coach Ryan Beard got hired by Coastal Carolina. With Beard gone, several key pieces to the Bears' success are in the transfer portal, including their two best offensive linemen.
Butch Jones' program should be able to take advantage and pressure Missouri State QB Jacob Clark enough to keep him in check - the Red Wolves rank top 15 in the Group of Six in sacks (31).
Meanwhile, Arkansas State's got enough playmakers with Jaylen Raynor at QB to outscore the Bears and win a second straight bowl game."
Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State: Anytime TD (+110 bet365)
"The most accomplished receiver in Arkansas State history is poised to go out with a bang against a Missouri State defense down three of its top defensive linemen. That should give Raynor plenty of time in the pocket to find his favorite target for a score in the Xbox Bowl.
Corey Rucker, the program's all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (26), is the focal point of the Red Wolves' offense, and that shouldn't change. He's No. 6 in the country in targets (113) and has seen double-digit targets in seven of his last eight games, which included scoring twice in the regular-season finale against Appalachian State.
Rucker is averaging 8.4 receptions for 107.7 yards on 13 targets per game over his last eight outings. Given his workload and connection with Raynor, I expect him to get plenty of opportunities to score against a program ranked No. 110 in defensive SP+."
Missouri State vs. Arkansas State odds: Xbox Bowl
Missouri State vs. Arkansas State betting trends