We’re going back to the well with another yardage prop in a Bowl game. Last night we picked against Baylor WR Monaray Baldwin, betting that his yardage total would go under 41.5. It couldn’t have gone too much better as Baldwin posted a grand total of zero yards against Air Force on a windy night in Fort Worth. Tonight, we will turn to a receiver once again – namely Barrett Bannister of Missouri.
Unlike Baldwin, Bannister did not lead his team in receptions or yardage. That honor went to future NFL’er Dominic Lovett. Lovett, though, has decided to opt out of the Gasparilla Bowl and declare for the NFL Draft. That leaves quite a few targets available for Barrett Bannister and his teammates. Bannister has closed the year strong. In his first seven games, Bannister managed just 17 receptions. In Missouri’s final three games, though, Bannister grabbed 19.
Lastly, the Missouri passing offense will get the benefit of playing a Wake Forest defense that simply could not stop the forward pass over the last few games of the season, giving up 448 yards to North Carolina, 357 to Syracuse, and 391 to Duke. Bannister should have plenty of chances to put up a good receiving line tonight. Let’s jump on him to go over 52.5 yards receiving at Bookmaker.
Prediction: Barrett Bannister (Missouri) over 52.5 yards receiving