Mississippi State vs. Texas Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 9

Texas is a big favorite against Mississippi State in Week 9 of the college football season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mississippi State received some devastating news this week when it was announced that its star quarterback, Kamario Taylor, will miss the rest of the season with a toe injury. That leaves the 4-3 Bulldogs with little hope of being in the mix in the coming weeks.

To make matters worse, they have a tough game against the Texas Longhorns set for this Saturday. Texas is coming off a big bounce-back win against Ole Miss and is now in a great position to get a second straight win.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this SEC showdown.

Mississippi State vs. Texas Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Mississippi State +20.5 (-115)
• Texas -20.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Mississippi State +850
• Texas -1450

Total

• OVER 50.5 (-115)
• UNDER 50.5 (-105)

Mississippi State vs. Texas How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, October 31
• Time: 7:30 pm ET
• Venue: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium
• Watch (TV): ESPN
• Mississippi State record: 4-3 (2-3 in SEC)
• Texas record: 5-2 (2-2 in SEC)

Mississippi State vs. Texas Betting Trends

• Mississippi State is 2-0 against the spread against Texas the past two seasons
• Mississippi State is 4-3 against the spread this season
• The UNDER is 4-3 in Mississippi State games this season
• Texas is 2-5 against the spread this season
• The UNDER is 4-3 in Texas games this season

Mississippi State vs. Texas Key Player to Watch

• Parker Puckett, QB - Mississippi State Bulldogs

With Taylor sidelined, Parker Puckett will take over as the Mississippi State starting quarterback. He has thrown 64 passes this season, completing 41 of them for 368 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The freshman will get a chance to prove himself against a very tough Texas defense on Saturday.

Mississippi State vs. Texas Prediction and Best Bet

Mississippi State has little to no chance to hang with the Longhorns in this game. Moving the ball against a stout Texas defense that leads the country in opponent-adjusted EPA per play was going to be hard enough; now, with a new quarterback taking over, the Bulldogs are going to struggle to put many points on the board.

The Longhorns offense has struggled at times, but the Mississippi State defense ranks just 105th in the country in opponent success rate.

I'll lay the points with the Longhorns in this one.

Pick: Texas -20.5 (-105) via DraftKings

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