Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Louisville Cardinals Picks, Odds, Music City Bowl Prediction 12/30/2019

Game: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Louisville Cardinals

Date: Monday, December 30, 2019

Music City Bowl

Location: Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Louisville +5.5

Total/Over-Under: 54

Nissan Stadium is the venue where Micale Cunningham and the Louisville Cardinals will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Monday, December 30 in the Music City Bowl. Mississippi State opens this contest as 5.5-point favorites. The Bulldogs are 5-7-0 ATS and 6-6-0 when betting on the total. The Cardinals are 7-5-0 when wagering on the over/under and 7-5-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Mississippi State Bulldogs went up against the Ole Miss Rebels and ended up getting the win by a score of 21-20. Kylin Hill led the team on the ground in the game. He broke a long run for 28 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He scurried for 132 yards on 27 carries which meant he averaged 4.9 yards per run. Deddrick Thomas was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 49 yards on 4 catches. He averaged 12.3 yards per reception in the game. Running the show from under center for the Bulldogs was Garrett Shrader who went 10/14 with 108 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Bulldogs rushed the ball a total of 44 times and earned a total of 210 yards which had them averaging 4.8 yards per run. Overall, they ran 58 plays which added up to 318 yards. In the game, the Bulldogs racked up 15 first downs and they had a total of 5 penalties for 41 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. When it comes to their defensive performance, Mississippi State conceded 15 completions on 26 throws for a total of 245 yards, and a completion percentage of 57.7%. Overall, they conceded 384 yards and forced 3 takeaways. In the running game, the Bulldogs conceded 139 yards on 47 attempts which is an average of 3.0 yards per run allowed.

The Bulldogs come into this matchup with a record of 6-6 for this year. For total yards, they sit in 7th in the Southeastern Conference and 68th in D-1 with 4,835 yards. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 27.6 points per game, which has them at 75th in D-1. As a unit, they have an average of 226.9 yards on the ground per contest which is 3rd in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs have one of the average defenses in college football, giving up 28.1 points per contest ranking them 12th in the conference. In discussing rushing yards, Mississippi State is allowing 148.8 yards per game which has them at 10th in the Southeastern Conference and 57th in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.4 yards per rush ranking them 11th in the SEC and 77th in Division 1 overall. In total, they have allowed 1,786 yards rushing through 12 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Bulldogs have conceded 2,112 yards. Opponents are completing 60.3% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.4 yards per attempt.

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In their last game, the Louisville Cardinals played the Kentucky Wildcats and took the loss by a score of 45-13. Running the show from under center for the Cardinals was Micale Cunningham who went 6/11 with 78 yards passing and added 1 TD. He walked away with 1 interception in the game. Javian Hawkins paced the team in rushing for the game. He tore off a long run of 56 yards and he tallied 1 touchdown for the game. He racked up a total of 142 yards via 22 carries which meant he averaged 6.5 yards per run. Tutu Atwell was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 57 yards on 4 catches. He had an average of 14.3 yards per catch for the game. The Cardinals rushed the ball a total of 51 times and added 209 yards which gave them an average of 4.1 yards per rush. For the game, they totaled 70 plays for 318 yards. In the game, the Cardinals racked up 17 1st downs and they had a total of 7 penalties for 60 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. On the defensive side of the ball, Louisville allowed 1 completions on 2 attempts for a total of 4 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. In the running game, the Cardinals allowed 517 yards on 40 tries which is an average of 12.9 yards per attempt allowed. In the game, they allowed a total of 521 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers.

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The Cardinals step onto the field holding a record of 7-5. In discussing the offensive production, the Cardinals have one of the most prolific offenses in the country. Louisville has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 215.2 rushing yards per contest, putting them 23rd in Division 1. As a team, they have a total of 2,582 rushing yards through 12 contests, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Cardinals average 442.8 yards per contest overall which has them at 35th in the country and 5th in the conference. The Cardinals are allowing 33.8 points per contest which puts them at 14th in the ACC and 111th in college football. When talking about points allowed, they have allowed 406 total points. When it comes to yards rushing, they are allowing 211 yards per contest which puts them at 115th in Division 1 and 13th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. For 2019, they have conceded a total of 2,532 rushing yards and 25.2 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road units in the nation. They are conceding 235.3 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Cardinals are currently ranked 8th in the ACC.

Who will win tonight's Bulldogs/Cardinals college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals +5.5

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