The Texas A&M Aggies bounced back from a (somewhat) close loss to Alabama with a 19-17 win over the Florida Gators in their last game. Now they return home to host the Mississippi State Bulldogs in another key SEC showdown on Saturday at College Station. The Aggies should be well rested following their bye week. Texas A&M can’t afford a letdown heading in to a stretch that will go a long way towards defining their season with three straight home games including the next two against conference opponents. Both teams are currently 5-2, so this is important for the pecking order in the SEC West. One team could be as high as second by the end of the weekend while one team will be fifth.
Details
Odds: Mississippi State -1.5
Date & Time: Saturday October 28th – 7:15 PM ET
Location: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Broadcast: ESPN
Reasons To Bet On The Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are a dangerous opponent after turning things around in their last two games. Mississippi State had dropped back-to-back losses before its bye week but have since posted back-to-back wins over BYU and Kentucky by a combined 80-17 score to improve to 5-2 on the season. The Bulldogs defense led the way in their 45-7 win over Kentucky last week as they forced two turnovers, recorded three sacks and seven tackles for a loss. The Mississippi State defense has improved from 110th in the nation to one of the best in the nation under coordinator Todd Grantham this season. Meanwhile, quarterback Nick Fitzgerald has thrown for 396 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions over his past two games. Fitzgerald will need to perform at a high level while avoiding costly turnovers in order to give the Bulldogs a shot this week at College Station.
Reasons To Bet On The Texas A&M Aggies
Quarterback Kellen Mond wasn’t efficient by any means in Texas A&M’s win over the Gators. However, he made just enough plays to help the Aggies pick up a big win on the road in a hostile environment. Mond completed 8-of-24 attempts for 180 yards and an interception while rushing for 52 yards and a score. For as impressive as his big play ability is, Texas A&M needs him to be more consistent in order to make the offense click at a higher level. Meanwhile, the Aggies defense came up big with two interceptions while holding Feleipe Franks to just 129 passing yards. They will need another dominant performance at home this week in order to pick up another victory. Daniel LaCamera kicked four field goals in the win over Florida. It won’t be a surprise if the game came down to his ability to his leg on Saturday night.
Outlook
We’ve seen quite a bit of movement on this betting line. The game opened up at a PICK at BetDSI but it has bounced back and forth. At one point, Texas A&M was favored by a point. Now the flip side is true as the Bulldogs are the team that is favored. They are currently laying -1.5. It seems like bettors like their chances in this spot. As far as the total is concerned, we’ve had much clearer view. The over-under opened at 53 but is now all the way up to 56.5. It seems like the consensus is that we’ll see a high-scoring game in this spot.
The Bulldogs looked legitimate in back-to-back wins over the Cougars and Wildcats but will face a much tougher test on the road this weekend at Kyle Field. Texas A&M is coming off its bye week, which means they will have had an extra week to rest and prepare for this crucial SEC showdown. While Mond needs to be more consistent, he should be able to make enough big plays to squeeze out a close win at home. The Aggies are only a small sports betting favorite so they should be able to win and cover against Mississippi State on Saturday night.
Prediction: Texas A&M +1.5
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