In a rematch from a season ago which Southern Miss won 44-35, Kentucky returns the favor with a trip to Hattiesburg as both teams look to get off on the right foot. A season ago it was questionable if either team would go bowling, yet both did just that with Kentucky getting a big win over Louisville late in the season to aid that quest. Southern Miss is projected by many to be a player in the Conference USA title race. For Kentucky this feels like another must have game if Mark Stoops hopes to return Kentucky to the postseason. The other pressure point with Kentucky is that a loss here would immediately reintroduce a lot of grumbling to the Wildcat program. Kentucky was in bad shape last September before rebounding in the second half of the season. The Wildcats can’t count on being able to dig out of a hole. The team has to start stronger this season in order to meet its goals and keep Stoops securely in place as head coach.
Details
Odds: Wildcats -10.5
Date & Time: Saturday, September 2nd – 4:00 PM ET
Location: M.M. Roberts Stadium – Hattiesburg, Miss.
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Reasons To Bet On The Kentucky Wildcats
Mark Stoops has slowly been building Kentucky as he envisioned when he took over the program and now enters the 2017 season with one of his most experienced teams with 17 returning starters. Southern Miss, for all the preseason expectations in its league, does lose 10 starters from a year ago and will be hard pressed to put up 44 points again without consistent play from the quarterback position. You saw flashes at the end of the year of what Stoops is looking to do with his bunch. Against an opponent they should be hungry to seek revenge on, the Wildcats – being the more experienced team in this game – should feel confident.
Reasons To Bet On The Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Southern Miss gashed this Kentucky defense a season ago, and barring a significant turnaround by Kentucky on that side of the ball, we could see similar issues for the Wildcats again. The Golden Eagles will have some changes most notably at quarterback, but they bring back their lead back, Ito Smith, who rushed for over 1,450 yards a season ago and will be licking his chops to play this Wildcat defense. The Golden Eagles will be able to move the ball. Whether they punctuate drives with seven or three could dictate the outcome of this game. If they score enough touchdowns, they will have enough to not only cover the spread, but go over the top and win outright.
Outlook
Taking a look at the betting line for this game, it currently sits at Kentucky -10.5. It actually opened up at -10 and has moved up to -10.5 and back to -10 several times before landing on 10.5 – where it stands today. That shows that there is a real push and pull in terms of the opinions on this game. However, there has been a clear consensus on the total. It opened up at 60 and while it did move to 61 briefly, it currently sits at 57. That shows that there has been adequate pressure on the under.
Expect a similar game to a season ago with the result flipped. Kentucky will be able to make a few more plays late to seal a road victory, but the defense doesn’t give confidence it can cover over two scores on the road. The line seems right about where it should be, which is why you see bettors come in on both sides of the line here. Southern Miss does enough to make this a game in the final minutes and covers the 10.5 points, even in defeat. In terms of the total, I don’t have a strong opinion on it but would trust the action so far. If you already have the under and you got a number like 60 or 61, you’re in good shape. Would avoid betting the under – or the total at all – where it sits now at 58 or 57 points.
Prediction: Golden Eagles +10.5
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