I wrote this game up in my Best Bets Cheat Sheet on DK Network, and gave out the Golden Eagles at +13.5. After opening 14.5 over the summer, this game dipped as low as 11.5 in the market. But now the market is back out to +14 for the home underdog, which I really like as a play on Saturday afternoon.
Mississippi State has been bottom of the barrel in the SEC, and while they may have improved, the Bulldogs haven’t fared well in games like this. Toledo came to town last season, and put a 41-17 thumping on them early last season, and this in-state rival should be absolutely juiced to be hosting an SEC team on ESPN to kickoff the season.
Forget everything you saw from Southern Miss last season. This is a completely different team. The Golden Eagles were dreadful, but add Marshall’s head coach Charles Huff. Huff won the Sun Belt with Marshall last season, and essentially takes half of the team with him over to Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles immediately bring veteran talent with plenty of experience playing together, only the laundry is different.
Southern Miss having home field for this game cannot be overstated. I’m expecting that to be a key advantage that plays a big role in the game. It’s rare for an SEC team to be on the road in Week 1 to face Group of Five competition, which is what we have here. I think the Golden Eagles show that they are a contender in the Sun Belt this season, and take this game down to the wire against the Bulldogs. Catching a couple of touchdowns feels like a great number.
CFB Pick: Southern Miss +13.5 (-110) 1-unit
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