College Football Odds: SEC Week 8 picks against the spread

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Oct 17, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs run onto the field before the first half against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday October 24, 2015
Time: 7:30 PM Eastern
Location: Starkville, MS
TV Channel: SEC Network
Spread: Mississippi State -11.5
Over/Under Total: 55

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has done a great job of improving the talent on the Wildcats’ roster in his three seasons in Lexington, and it has paid off with increased success on the field. UK was 2-10 in Stoops’ first season, 5-7 last year and is now off to a solid 4-2 start , including a 2-2 record in the SEC.

However, there is still a lot of work to do for the Wildcats to become bowl eligible for the first time in the Stoops era. A win over Mississippi State – a team Kentucky hasn’t beaten since Dan Mullen took over as the head coach of the Bulldogs in 2009 – would be a huge step in the right direction.

State is also searching for bowl eligibility, but with plans on extending a school-record streak of post-season appearances instead of ending a drought like the Wildcats. Mullen has guided MSU to five straight bowl games, and a win Saturday would ensure a sixth for the 5-2 Bulldogs.

Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles is on a hot streak, having thrown for 300 or more yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career, and leading rusher Boom Williams (456 rushing yards, 3 TD) is coming off a 113-yard, two-touchdown performance against Auburn last Thursday – which conveniently gave the Wildcats a couple of extra days to prepare for this week’s pivotal cross-divisional matchup with Mississippi State.

Both defenses have struggled this season. The Bulldogs rank No. 9 in the SEC and No. 47 nationally in total defense (368.4 yards per game), while Kentucky is close behind at No. 10 and No. 54, respectively, with an average of 374.8 yards allowed. That means the outcome will be decided by which team has more offensive weapons.

MSU quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown for 1,700 yards and 11 touchdowns without an interception, and last week became only the third SEC QB in history (joining Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel) to throw for 50 touchdowns and run for 30. Prescott has a couple of great receivers in De’Runnya Wilson and Fred Ross, and though the Bulldogs have struggled to run the football this season (Prescott leads the team with 254 rushing yards), the Bulldogs should survive – but not by much.

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