A three-game skid meets a one-game winning streak when two bowl-hopeful teams try to find their footing on a Tuesday night.
The Missouri State Bears come in at 2-4 and have won their last game, while the Delaware Blue Hens sit at 2-4 as well but have dropped three straight. Missouri State enters on a W1 streak, Delaware on an L3 streak.
Game details
| When | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET |
| Where | Delaware Stadium |
| TV | ESPNU |
| Line | Delaware Blue Hens -3 | O/U 53.5 (market view) |
| Missouri State Bears record | 2-4 |
| Delaware Blue Hens record | 2-4 |
The matchup
Missouri State's recent form has been a mixed bag: a win over the Kennesaw State Owls last week followed a loss to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, and before that, back-to-back losses to the SMU Mustangs and Marshall Thundering Herd sandwiched a blowout win over the Lindenwood Lions. The Bears have scored 133 points this season while allowing 183.
Delaware has struggled to find any rhythm, losing four of its last five with a narrow three-point loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders most recently, following defeats to the Liberty Flames and a lopsided 3-42 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers. The lone bright spot was a win over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in Week 3. Delaware has scored 137 points on the season while giving up 161.
Key matchups
Neither roster offers a clear statistical standout in the data, so this one likely comes down to which offense can finally put together a complete game. Missouri State has shown it can score in bunches, as the 48-point outburst against Lindenwood showed, but its defense has given up 183 points across six games. Delaware's issue has been the opposite problem: an offense that managed just three points against Virginia and has been unable to consistently move the ball, while its defense has kept some games within reach, including the three-point loss to Middle Tennessee.
With both teams allowing more than they're scoring, whichever side limits mistakes and avoids a blowout-level letdown, like Missouri State's loss to Western Kentucky or Delaware's loss to Virginia, probably walks away with this one.
The pick
The market has Delaware as a three-point favorite with a market score of 28-25 and a total of 53.5, suggesting oddsmakers expect a tight, somewhat high-scoring finish despite both teams' struggles. Missouri State arrives with momentum on its side after a Week 7 win, while Delaware is trying to snap a three-game slide at home. Given the Bears' recent win and Delaware's three straight losses, this one looks closer than the modest spread suggests.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Missouri State Bears | Wk7 W 24-21 vs Kennesaw State Owls, Wk6 L 13-34 vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Wk4 L 24-34 vs SMU Mustangs |
| Delaware Blue Hens | Wk7 L 30-33 vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, Wk5 L 14-30 vs Liberty Flames, Wk4 L 3-42 vs Virginia Cavaliers |
In this story
Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.