Ole Miss vs. Tulane picks, best bets for Week 2 matchup

Update Saturday, 3:20 p.m. Due to an injury to Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt that will keep him sidelined, the spread has moved to Ole Miss -14 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels (1-0) head to the Big Easy this week to take on the No. 24 Tulane Green Wave (1-0).The game will kick off on Saturday, September 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Rebels won their Week 1 matchup against FCS opponent Mercer, running the score up to finish 73-7. Jaxson Dart passed for 334 yards and four touchdowns in the win.

However, Tulane is no Mercer. The Green Wave, who made a splash in 2022 with an AAC Championship title and a Cotton Bowl win over USC, are here to stay. Quarterback Michael Pratt, who returns for his fourth year, opened the season with a near-perfect performance against South Alabama, going 14-for-15 for 294 yards and four touchdowns of his own.

Here’s everything you need to know about the top-25 matchup and a pick for the game.

SP+ Rankings

Ole Miss: 14 overall, 10 offense, 24 defense
Tulane: 32 overall, 28 offense, 55 defense

Injury update

Ole Miss

TE Hudson Wolfe - Probable (shoulder)
WR Zakhari Franklin - Out (knee)
WR Qua Davis - Questionable (undisclosed)
LB Mark Trigg Jr - Questionable (undisclosed)
TE Caden Prieskorn - Out (undisclosed)

Tulane

N/A

ATS/Total

Against The Spread in 2023

Ole Miss: 1-0 ATS
Tulane: 1-0 ATS

Total in 2023

Ole Miss: Over 1-0
Tulane: Over 1-0

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Ole Miss -7
Total: 65.5
Moneyline: Ole Miss -290, Tulane +235

Weather

93 degrees, cloudy with chance of thunderstorm, 7 MPH winds S, 14 MPH wind gusts

The Pick

Tulane +7

Both of these teams showed some real offensive prowess in their respective season openers. Tulane at home is not a team that will mess around — they have won 10 of their last 11 games going back to 2022, while Ole Miss has lost five of their last seven going back to last season. The Rebels brought in Spencer Sanders in the transfer portal, but have decided to stick with last year’s starter Jaxson Dart at quarterback.

Dart looked good against Mercer, but Tulane has been waiting patiently for opportunities like this one. I have more confidence in Pratt and the Green Wave than I do in Dart and the Rebs at this point for what should be a rocking atmosphere in the Garden District.