Ole Miss vs. Kentucky Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 2

Sean Treppedi | Sep 4, 2025

Kentucky’s grind-it-out style and Ole Miss breaking in a young QB on the road point to a slower, defensive game on Saturday. / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Ole Miss enters Lexington carrying the weight of revenge after last year’s stunning loss to Kentucky derailed its playoff path. 

The Rebels showed off both firepower and balance in their opener, racking up nearly 700 yards against Georgia State, but this will be a very different kind of fight. 

Mark Stoops’ Wildcats are built to suffocate pace, grind possessions into mud, and make opponents win the hard way. 

It’s a clash of philosophies: Lane Kiffin’s high-octane pace against Stoops’ calculated slowdown.

Ole Miss vs. Kentucky Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line

• Ole Miss -10.5 (-105)
• Kentucky +10.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Ole Miss (-365)
• Kentucky (+285)

Total

• Over 50.5 (-115)
• Under 50.5 (-105)

Ole Miss vs. Kentucky How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025 
• Game Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: Kroger Field
• How to Watch (TV): ABC
• Ole Miss Record: 1-0
• Kentucky Record: 1-0

Ole Miss vs. Kentucky Key Player to Watch

Deone Walker, Defensive Tackle – Ole Miss 

If Kentucky is going to keep this game inside the number, it starts with Deone Walker wreaking havoc up front. The 6-7, 330-pound anchor is more than just a space-eater — he collapses pockets, blows up double teams, and forces quarterbacks into hurried reads.

Last season he was the kind of disruptive presence who made SEC offenses abandon their game plans, and his ability to pressure without constant blitzing lets Stoops disguise coverages behind him. Against Ole Miss, Walker’s gap control is essential to slowing down Kewan Lacy and forcing Austin Simmons into obvious passing downs. And with Simmons still green in his first road start, one or two Walker-driven breakdowns could turn into turnovers. 

Ole Miss vs. Kentucky Prediction and Pick

Kentucky’s passing game under Zach Calzada is a liability, and the Wildcats’ only path is to shorten the game with clock-bleeding runs that keep Simmons on the sideline. Stoops has built his program on muddying shootouts, and his defense is capable of forcing Ole Miss into longer possessions than usual.

The Rebels still have the talent edge, but Kentucky’s style has a way of dragging even explosive opponents down into trench fights. Add in Simmons’ inexperience in his first road test, and it’s hard to see this turning into the kind of track meet that the number implies. The smarter play is banking on stalled drives and defensive grit.

Pick: Under 52.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

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