Kentucky is hosting Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon of Week 2. The game will take place at 3:30 p.m. ET in Lexington, Kentucky. This is an early league game for these two teams, providing an opportunity for both to establish their tone for the season.
The Rebels are 9.5-point road favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 50.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this Ole Miss-Kentucky SEC matchup.
Ole Miss vs. Kentucky Preview
Ole Miss Preview
Ole Miss put on a great showing in its Week 1 game against Georgia State. It wasn’t against stiff competition, but in a game where they wanted to break in a lot of new players, things went well for the Rebels. New quarterback Austin Simmons has the tough job of replacing Jaxson Dart. For a team that loves to hit the transfer portal, Lane Kiffin decided to replace Dart with a homegrown sophomore. Simmons lit up the Georgia State defense, throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy rushed for over 100 yards and three touchdowns, and Penn State transfer Harrison Wallace III went for 130 yards and a score. If Ole Miss’ offense can click like that against SEC competition, it will be College Football Playoff contenders once again.
Kentucky Preview
The Wildcats were under pressure heading into this season, mainly their head coach, Mark Stoops. Stoops turned the Kentucky football program into a competitor over the past decade, but they have started to fall behind the pack in the SEC over the last several years. In 2024, they went 4-8, breaking their streak of eight consecutive bowl-eligible seasons. They won only one conference game last season, ironically, against these Ole Miss Rebels. Kentucky opened its season at home against Toledo, and it was an ugly 24-16 win for the Wildcats. New quarterback Zach Calzada played poorly, going 10-23 for 85 yards and an interception. His job will be even tougher against an Ole Miss defense with far superior athletes compared to Toledo’s.
Ole Miss vs. Kentucky Pick
My best bet for this game is for Ole Miss to cover the 10-point spread. With a new starting quarterback, running back and WR1, it seemed like Ole Miss might take some time to get its offense rolling. The offense looked sharp and explosive, albeit against inferior competition. Kentucky struggled to stop Toledo WR1 Junior Vandeross III last week, as he went for seven catches, 88 yards and a score. They should have no answer for Wallace on the outside with Simmons throwing to him. The loss to Kentucky cost Ole Miss a playoff spot last season. Kiffin will not take the game for granted this season, and should look to put up a big number in this revenge spot. Ole Miss has some defensive vulnerabilities, but Calzada does not look up to the task to exploit those. The Rebels should win this one by a big margin.
