This week's picks

Sam Houston vs. Missouri State Prediction, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Sam Houston at Missouri State

Week 9, Tue, Oct 27, 8:00 PM ET, Plaster Sports Complex.

The numbers say: Missouri State, 61% to win.

The game

KickoffTue, Oct 27, 8:00 PM ET
TVESPN2
WherePlaster Sports Complex
Weather65°, clear, wind 5 mph
LineMissouri State −6, total 51.5
Line movementHasn't moved since it opened.
SeriesTied 1–1
Last meetingSam Houston 20–17 in 2006

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Missouri State by 3.660%47
PRIMEMissouri State by 4.663%
EloMissouri State69%
The lineMissouri State −651.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Tue, Oct 27, 2:00 PM ET.

Who wins, Sam Houston or Missouri State?

The numbers say: Missouri State. 64% chance to win

Which matchups decide Sam Houston vs. Missouri State?

All three ratings favor Missouri State, by 3.6 to 4.6 points. Sam Houston's way back in is its 3rd down defense, 27th in 3rd downs allowed, against Missouri State's 3rd down offense at 105th.

Sam Houston with the ball

Missouri State with the ball

Who's out for Sam Houston and Missouri State?

Sam Houston

Missouri State

How Sam Houston and Missouri State compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Sam Houston and Missouri State are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Sam Houston's and Missouri State's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Sam Houston and Missouri State?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Missouri State 1.1 points better (128th to 129th). PRIME also has Missouri State ahead, by 2.1. Elo, which only sees results, also has Missouri State ahead (123rd to 130th).

Sam HoustonMissouri State
SP+ overall-18.0 (129th)-16.9 (128th)
SP+ offense13.9 (132nd)19.0 (114th)
SP+ defense31.6 (109th)35.4 (128th)
SP+ special teams-0.4 (113th)-0.6 (131st)
PRIME net-15.2 (127th)-13.1 (121st)
PRIME offense-11.95 (136th)-3.88 (96th)
PRIME defense-2.60 (93rd)-8.53 (131st)
PRIME SOS-6.9 (114th)-7.2 (117th)
PRIME SOR-4.3 (137th)-2.4 (122nd)
Elo1104 (130th)1187 (123rd)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Sam Houston's offense ranks 134th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Missouri State defense it faces ranks 137th in EPA per play allowed. Missouri State's offense ranks 113th against Sam Houston's 97th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge. The biggest edge on the board is Missouri State's backs in the open field: 97th in adjusted open-field yards per carry, against Sam Houston's 130th-ranked defense. Adjust for opponents and Sam Houston's defense falls from 63rd to 97th in EPA per play allowed: a lot of that came against soft offenses.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
EPA per play (adjusted)−0.03 (134th)+0.04 (113th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.07 (133rd)+0.19 (70th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)−0.04 (133rd)−0.02 (126th)
Success rate (adjusted)36.7% (126th)40.4% (82nd)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)42.7% (127th)46.3% (77th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)28.8% (108th)29.2% (99th)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.93 (80th)0.89 (131st)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.62 (134th)2.85 (105th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)0.97 (119th)1.04 (97th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.14 (97th)+0.25 (137th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.15 (41st)+0.31 (129th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.14 (124th)+0.14 (119th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)42.6% (81st)50.3% (137th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.97 (119th)0.92 (29th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.10 (113th)3.17 (124th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.41 (130th)1.23 (94th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Sam Houston or Missouri State?

Sam Houston is better throwing (118th in EPA per pass) than running (136th). Missouri State's pass defense ranks 110th. Missouri State is better throwing (58th in EPA per pass) than running (115th). Sam Houston's pass defense ranks 13th, so the defense has the better of it.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
EPA per play−0.05 (133rd)+0.09 (88th)
EPA per pass+0.05 (118th)+0.25 (58th)
EPA per rush−0.18 (136th)0.00 (115th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.32 (102nd)+0.48 (62nd)
EPA per play allowed+0.08 (63rd)+0.23 (120th)
EPA per pass allowed0.00 (13th)+0.32 (110th)
EPA per rush allowed+0.18 (121st)+0.13 (100th)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.18 (15th)+0.59 (118th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Sam Houston or Missouri State?

Sam Houston is outscored by 5.2 a game, and Missouri State is outscored by 10.5. Sam Houston's offense ranks 120th in scoring, and the Missouri State defense it faces ranks 130th in points allowed. Missouri State's offense ranks 96th against Sam Houston's 79th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
Points scored20.1 (120th)24.4 (96th)
Points allowed25.3 (79th)34.9 (130th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Sam Houston has no clear edge here. Its best is 3rd down conversion rate, 112th, against a defense ranked 124th in 3rd down conversions allowed. Missouri State has no clear edge here. Its best is yards per carry, 93rd, against a defense ranked 117th in yards per carry allowed.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
Pass yards / game252.4 (45th)246.3 (51st)
Rush yards / game105.0 (132nd)137.1 (105th)
Yards per play5.55 (111th)6.20 (64th)
Yards per carry4.25 (121st)4.82 (93rd)
Yards per attempt6.72 (108th)7.80 (63rd)
Completion %57.0% (100th)65.6% (53rd)
Success rate37.0% (124th)42.0% (84th)
Explosive play rate9.1% (127th)11.8% (82nd)
3rd down conversion33.3% (112th)34.8% (105th)
Sack rate (taken)5.4% (70th)5.6% (72nd)
INT rate (thrown)2.3% (65th)2.7% (87th)
SUPLEX50.0% (106th)56.6% (67th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Sam Houston's defense is best placed to get off the field on third down: it ranks 27th in 3rd down conversions allowed, and Missouri State's offense is bottom-40 in 3rd down conversion rate (105th). That's a mismatch. Missouri State's defense is best placed to stop the run: it ranks 91st in yards per carry allowed, and Sam Houston's offense is bottom-20 in yards per carry (121st).

Sam HoustonMissouri State
Pass yards allowed / game141.3 (4th)228.9 (101st)
Rush yards allowed / game210.3 (129th)175.3 (102nd)
Yards per play allowed5.64 (62nd)6.34 (101st)
Yards per carry allowed5.71 (117th)5.16 (91st)
Yards per attempt allowed5.96 (22nd)8.05 (93rd)
Success rate allowed41.1% (64th)50.2% (135th)
Explosive plays allowed12.4% (95th)13.0% (104th)
3rd downs allowed32.6% (27th)46.8% (124th)
Sack rate (generated)6.7% (55th)4.3% (111th)
INT rate (generated)3.6% (28th)1.5% (107th)
SUPLEX allowed56.6% (88th)61.6% (117th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Missouri State has the better number in 8 of 12. The biggest gap is front-seven havoc, where Sam Houston ranks 33rd and Missouri State 109th.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
Big Uglies: offensive line34.9 (136th)46.1 (104th)
Big Uglies: defensive front48.0 (85th)41.3 (121st)
Line yards per carry2.31 (136th)2.95 (90th)
Line yards allowed per carry3.06 (90th)3.06 (91st)
Second-level yards per carry0.78 (131st)0.98 (100th)
Open-field yards per carry0.46 (135th)1.00 (92nd)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)25.8% (135th)18.1% (76th)
Stuff rate (defense)18.8% (70th)16.0% (106th)
Power success (short yardage)57.1% (132nd)68.8% (92nd)
Power success allowed75.0% (93rd)73.8% (88th)
Front-seven havoc allowed13.0% (132nd)11.5% (122nd)
Front-seven havoc11.2% (33rd)8.0% (109th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Neither team has a real turnover edge: Sam Houston is 0.0 a game and Missouri State −0.3.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
Interceptions thrown / game0.75 (75th)0.75 (75th)
Fumbles lost / game0.38 (42nd)0.50 (67th)
Giveaways / game1.13 (49th)1.25 (63rd)
Interceptions / game0.75 (59th)0.38 (113th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.38 (89th)0.63 (42nd)
Takeaways / game1.13 (81st)1.00 (88th)
Turnover margin / game0.0 (67th)-0.3 (85th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Sam Houston has the more talented roster (117th in the 247Sports talent composite; Missouri State is 119th). But Missouri State plays further above its talent: −9.8 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Sam Houston's −11.2.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
Talent composite554.5 (117th)549.9 (119th)
Blue-chip ratio1.7% (120th)5.5% (96th)
Players on roster106 (99th)104 (112th)
Rated by 247Sports58 (123rd)55 (129th)
5-star players0 (37th)0 (37th)
4-star players1 (119th)3 (94th)
3-star players55 (93rd)47 (110th)
Below 3-star2 (68th)5 (29th)
2026 transfers in22 (63rd)21 (67th)
Transfer share37.9% (37th)38.2% (36th)
SP+ vs. talent-11.2 (125th)-9.8 (124th)
Returning production57.7% (46th)31.3% (87th)
Returning passing production-31.1% (132nd)5.3% (94th)
Returning rushing production-3.2% (120th)-3.2% (120th)
Returning receiving production56.8% (35th)47.4% (52nd)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)126 (126th)131 (131st)
Recruiting rank, last four classes117.0 (122nd)133.5 (131st)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Sam Houston is −2.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−1.6). Missouri State is −1.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−1.4). Sam Houston's record is 1.2 wins worse than its play on bad luck, so it's better than the record says.

Sam HoustonMissouri State
RECEIPTS (total)-2.5 (129th)-1.5 (115th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.9 (46th)+1.1 (40th)
Roster RECEIPTS-0.6 (109th)-0.7 (114th)
Coach RECEIPTS-1.6 (126th)-1.4 (121st)
Luck RECEIPTS-1.2 (129th)-0.5 (96th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Sam Houston at Missouri State: questions people ask

Sam Houston vs. Missouri State prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Missouri State, 64% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team.

Where can I watch Sam Houston vs. Missouri State, and what time is it?

Tue, Oct 27, 8:00 PM ET at Plaster Sports Complex. It's on ESPN2.

What's the projected score of Sam Houston vs. Missouri State?

SP+ projects Missouri State 25–22. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Sam Houston at Missouri State?

DraftKings has Missouri State −6, total 51.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Sam Houston vs. Missouri State series history?

It's tied 1–1. Last meeting: Sam Houston won 20–17 in 2006.

Who are the players to watch in Sam Houston vs. Missouri State?

Sam Houston: Landyn Locke (1,703 passing yards), Alton McCaskill (226 rushing yards) and Tim Burns Jr. (392 receiving yards). Missouri State: Henry Belin IV (1,095 passing yards), Ramone Green Jr. (266 rushing yards) and Isaiah Myers (858 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Sam Houston at Missouri State?

Sam Houston's is Landyn Locke (1,703 passing yards this season); Missouri State's is Henry Belin IV (1,095 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Sam Houston and Missouri State: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.