12:07 pm
November 13

Mississippi State @ #16 Auburn

Who will WIN this matchup?

Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-4)

@ #16 Auburn Tigers (6-3)

 

Current odds:

Mississippi State Bulldogs: (+160)

Auburn Tigers: (-190)

 

• The spread for the game is Auburn by 4 points.

• Coming off a loss at No. 11 Texas A&M last week, No. 16 Auburn will host Mississippi State in the 95th meeting between the Southeastern Conference opponents. Two weeks ago, the Tigers (6-3, 3-2) throttled Ole Miss at home, putting themselves in good position in the West Division with a 31-20 victory behind the fleet feet and right arm of quarterback Bo Nix. As the team traveled to College Station, Texas, for its game with the Aggies, Auburn possessed a luxury that is not often bestowed upon a football team in November: They controlled their own destiny if they won out.

• The Aggies put an end to that talk in a 20-3 drubbing of the Tigers, holding Auburn to season lows in points (three) and total yards (226). The elusive but streaky Nix was 20-of-41 for just 153 yards with an interception, and the running game stumbled with 73 yards on 29 carries (2.5 per rush). Auburn has claimed eight of the past 12 games in the series, including last season’s 24-10 road win, and is 65-27-2 overall.

• The Bulldogs (5-4, 3-3) would just as soon move on from last week’s final minute against Arkansas. In Fayetteville against the Razorbacks, Mississippi State’s bid to force overtime after Arkansas scored a TD with 21 seconds left ended with kicker Nolan McCord missing a game-tying field with two seconds left. McCord, who replaced Brandon Ruiz after the latter missed two field goals earlier (including a 23-yarder), hooked his 40-yard attempt badly to the left and prevented overtime.

• The defeat snapped the Bulldogs’ two-game winning streak and made Arkansas bowl-eligible for the first time in non-COVID conditions since 2016. Three of Mississippi State’s four losses are by three points or fewer — to Memphis, LSU and Arkansas — and the second-year coach said making a play or two would have been the difference in those games.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
#16 Auburn Tigers
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