College Football Odds: SEC Week 13 picks against the spread
Nov 21, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott (15) passes in the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi State defeated Arkansas 51-50. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
- Date: Saturday December 28, 2015
- Time: 7:15 PM Eastern
- Location: Starkville, MS
- TV Channel: ESPN2
- Spread: Ole Miss -1
- Over/Under Total: 64
The Iron Bowl gets the headlines, but the Battle for the Golden Egg means just as much to the state of Mississippi and dominates the talk in coffee shops, barber shops and on sports talk radio all year in the Magnolia State. The 2015 edition of the Egg Bowl features a relatively rare combination of ranked teams with winning records, which only raises the stakes.
In addition to bragging rights, the Ole Miss Rebels have an outside shot at an SEC Western Division title. Thanks to their early season victory over Alabama, the Rebels can become the last of the original SEC West teams to make it to Atlanta for the conference championship game with a win over Mississippi State and an Alabama loss to Auburn.
Of course, the cowbell-ringing crowd at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville – not to mention the Bulldogs’ star senior quarterback Dak Prescott – will have plenty to say in the matter.
Prescott has emerged as not only the greatest quarterback in Mississippi State history, but has also become one of the best to every play in the SEC. With 3,159 passing yards and 23 touchdowns and only three interceptions, plus a team-best 478 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground, Prescott is one of just 12 players in college football history to surpass 8,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in his career and is just the fourth player ever to throw 60 touchdown passes and run for 40 TDs.
Ole Miss also has a great signal caller, and Chad Kelly is the leading passer in the SEC with 3,504 yards. Kelly needs just 39 passing yards to pass Eli Manning for the program’s single-season record. With 23 touchdowns this season, Kelly is also just six TDs shy of Manning’s record mark.
Both quarterbacks have a many offensive weapons, including star wide receivers Laquon Treadwell and De’Runnya Wilson, and the game should be high scoring. The Rebels have a more opportunistic defense and rank second in the SEC with 20 takeaways, but also have a negative turnover margin in large part due to Kelly’s 12 interceptions. Expect Prescott and the Bulldogs’ defense to make one more play than Ole Miss, and to come away with a close victory.
Next: Texas A&M at LSU