The Texas A&M Aggies (2-1 overall, 2-1 SEC) travel to Starkville, Miss., to play the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-2, 1-2) Saturday in Davis Wade Stadium at 4 p.m. ET (on SEC Network). Below, we analyze the Texas A&M-Mississippi State college football betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
The Aggies are ranked 11th in the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Texas A&M at Mississippi State: Betting odds and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:26 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Texas A&M -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Mississippi State +165 (bet $100 to win $165)
- Against the spread/ATS: Texas A&M -5 (-110) | Mississippi State +5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 56.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Texas A&M at Mississippi State: Three things to know
- This is Mike Leach’s first year as head coach of the Bulldogs. He has a history of coming up short against ranked competition. At his previous coaching gig with Washington State, he was 6-22 against ranked foes.
- The home team is 5-1 against the spread in the last six Texas A&M-Mississippi State meetings. The favorites in Texas A&M-Mississippi State are 5-1 ATS in the last six games.
- Texas A&M has the 16th-highest return of production compared to Mississippi State’s 110th ranking (according to ESPN).
Get some action on this game or any other matchup with a legal, online bet at BetMGM in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Risk-free first bet up to $500, paid in free bets. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Texas A&M at Mississippi State: Odds, betting lines and picks
Prediction
Texas A&M 34, Mississippi State 17
Money line (ML)
Mississippi State (+165) shocked the country by beating the defending National Champions LSU Tigers 44-34 in its first game of the season, but MSU has struggled since. The Bulldogs have lost back-to-back games (straight up and failed to cover) to Kentucky and Arkansas.
Texas A&M (-200) beat No. 9-ranked Florida 41-38 in Gainesville, Fla., last week, so naturally Aggies backers need to worry about a letdown game here. But with senior QB Kellen Mond guiding the offense, A&M should be ready to go here. He won SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his 338 passing yards and three-TD performance against the Gators last Saturday.
I like Texas A&M (-200) on the money line but would rather parlay it with another favorite to increase the payout (Alabama perhaps).
Against the spread (ATS)
Texas A&M -5 (-110) head coach Jimbo Fisher has prepped his players well to handle business on the road recently. The Aggies are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
Mississippi State defense’s stats are good but misleading. Its first opponent, LSU, scored 34 in its first game with a completely remodeled team. The Bulldogs’ next opponents—Kentucky and Arkansas—are ranked 52nd and 68th in yards per play (out of 76 ranked teams).
Also, Mississippi State senior transfer QB K.J. Costello is leading the nation in interceptions thrown (nine). The Aggies should have success on offense and the Bulldogs could easily turn the ball over trying to respond.
TAKE TEXAS A&M -5 (-110) to cover.
Over/Under (O/U)
PASS. I don’t have a feel for it. Leach’s air raid offense is throwing the ball at the nation’s highest clip (79%) but has played bad the past two games. Texas A&M’s offense put up clunkers in its first two games, but Costello’s interception woes could give them short fields.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional college football coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama football / Auburn football / Florida football / Georgia football / LSU football / Michigan football / Michigan State football / Notre Dame football / Ohio State football / Oklahoma football / Tennessee football / Texas football / USC football / Wisconsin football
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]