Mississippi State football takes the field in Starkville on Saturday with a massive opportunity awaiting them. The Maroon and White-wearing Bulldogs welcome the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs to Davis Wade Stadium, hoping to pull off a massive upset in front of their home crowd and make a major statement about the direction of Jeff Lebby's program.
Mississippi State picked up some positive momentum last week in Fayetteville. The Bulldogs mounted a fourth-quarter comeback and defeated Arkansas 38-35 to earn their first SEC win in over two years, snapping a 16-game conference losing streak. They are now 5-4 on the season and 1-4 in the SEC, just one win away from bowl-eligibility.
Georgia also has momentum entering Starkville. The 5th-ranked Bulldogs have won four-straight games, beating rival Florida in Jacksonville 24-20 last Saturday. Georgia, 7-1 on the season and 5-1 in the SEC, are firmly in the SEC Championship hunt and on track to return to the College Football Playoff.
Can Mississippi State spring the upset to become bowl-eligible, or will Georgia continue their winning ways? Here are the final odds entering Saturday's matchup and our score prediction.
Mississippi State vs Georgia odds: point spread, moneyline, total
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of November 8. Odds are subject to change.
Point Spread
- Mississippi State +9.5 (-108)
- Georgia -9.5 (-112)
Moneyline
- Mississippi State +275
- Georgia -340
Total
- 56.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Georgia Bulldogs score prediction
There's a chance for this to be a good game. Georgia's rushing attack should manage to find success against a lackluster Mississippi State run defense while MSU could find a few explosive plays in the passing game to put points on the board. This is also a potential trap game for UGA, coming off their win in the Cocktail Party and with Texas looming. Neither side tends to play strong start to finish throughout games, with Georgia in particular starting slow frequently. That said, they've been great about adjusting and pulling away in the second half.
State will start fast, but the Georgia run game will wear on them over the course of the game. And the Georgia defense will adjust to whatever punches are thrown their way early. UGA ultimately pulls away. MSU keeps it respectable, though.
Georgia wins 30-21