Not many NCAAF expert picks believed that this would be a quality game when the season began. Kentucky has been a surprise team in the SEC East, but they still have a little ways to go before they can be considered a contender. Mississippi State is the number one team in the country and will have to play Kentucky on the road in what could be a surprisingly good game. Normally, when you have a top-ranked opponent against an unranked opponent, it's a recipe for a blowout. This Kentucky team has played with a chip on their shoulder all season so they appear to be primed for a big upset at some point this season.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops will have to rally his team together after getting beat 41-3 at LSU last weekend. Overall, the Wildcats have a 5-2 record. It has been a long time since the Wildcats have had five wins in an entire season, much less at the halfway point. Both of their losses come on the road, so Mississippi State will have to take this team seriously in Lexington. The Kentucky offense is averaging a little over 30 points per game this season, so they may be able to score with the Bulldogs on Saturday. Even though the defense has been solid for the most part, they will be facing their biggest challenge of the season so far with Heisman-hopeful quarterback Dak Prescott. Containing Prescott will be tough, but Stoops will have to figure out a way to slow him down if they will have a chance to pull off the upset.
The Bulldogs are coming off of a bye week after beating LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn in consecutive weeks. A bye week may have been the worst thing for the Bulldogs because it's the only thing that could slow them down. It's easy to get fired up against top-ranked opponents, but going on the road to Kentucky could be a trap if they don't get amped up for it. Even though they have had two weeks to prepare for the Wildcats, they will still have to match their intensity out of the gate to avoid falling in a hole. Coach Dan Mullen has not lost to Kentucky during his tenure at Mississippi State, and NCAAF predictions experts don't feel that it will change this weekend.
Some experts feel that Kentucky has a legitimate shot at pulling off the upset of top-ranked Mississippi State. They will come out with a ton of energy to match the crowd. If the Bulldogs give them any reason to believe that they can hang with them, then this could be a closer game than the experts think. The Bulldogs stand at about a two-touchdown favorite. Based on talent alone, the Bulldogs should cover the spread comfortably. But when you factor in the atmosphere in the stadium and how Kentucky has played so far this season, there's a good chance that this game could end up being pretty close but the best bet would be Over the Total in this game.
Free NCAAF prediction for this matchup:
Mississippi State 34
Kentucky 28
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