Mississippi State vs Tennessee Picks, Line and Odds

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Neyland Stadium

Tommy Stevens and the Mississippi State Bulldogs are headed to Neyland Stadium on Saturday where they'll take on the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee opens this contest as 6.5-point underdogs. The Bulldogs are 2-3-0 ATS and 4-1-0 when betting on the total. The Volunteers are 3-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-4-0 against the spread.

Key Mississippi State Bulldogs Injuries

10/06/19 QB Tommy Stevens Leg is questionable Saturday vs Tennessee U
10/06/19 WR Devonta Jason Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Tennessee U
10/06/19 OL Kwatrivous Johnson Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Tennessee U
10/06/19 DL Lee Autry Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Tennessee U
10/06/19 LB Willie Gay Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Tennessee U
09/26/19 QB Keytaon Thompson Upper Body is out indefinitely

Key Tennessee Volunteers Injuries

10/04/19 RB Jeremy Banks Dismissed is out for season
09/06/19 DB Terrell Bailey Personal has left team
09/05/19 WR Jordan Murphy Personal has left team
08/24/19 LB Daniel Bituli Knee is out indefinitely
08/13/19 DB Baylen Buchanan Back is out indefinitely
08/08/19 DL Emmit Gooden Knee is out indefinitely

In their last game, the Mississippi State Bulldogs played the Auburn Tigers and lost 56-23. Garrett Shrader paced the team in rushing in the game. He had a long run of 24 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown for the game. He racked up a total of 89 yards via 16 carries which meant he was running for 5.6 yards per run. Farrod Green led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 69 yards on 3 catches. He earned an average of 23.0 yards per catch in the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Bulldogs was Garrett Shrader who went 12/23 with 209 yards passing and threw 2 touchdowns. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. The Bulldogs rushed the ball a total of 38 times and totaled 118 yards which earned them an average of 3.1 yards per rushing attempt. In the game, the Bulldogs racked up 21 1st downs and they totaled 9 penalties for 70 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. Overall, they ran 64 plays which gave them a total of 334 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Mississippi State gave up 18 completions on 24 attempts for a total of 361 yards, and a completion percentage of 75.0%. Against the run, the Bulldogs gave up 219 yards on 43 attempts giving the other team an average of 5.1 yards per run allowed. For the game, they gave up 580 yards and forced 3 takeaways.

The Bulldogs head into this matchup 3-2 this season. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 30.2 points per game, ranking them 65th in the nation. As a unit, they are averaging 206.2 yards on the ground per contest which is 4th in the Southeastern Conference. For total yardage, they rank 11th in the Southeastern Conference and 82nd in the nation with 1,990 yards. The Bulldogs have one of the middle tier defenses in the country, allowing 28.6 points per game which has them at 12th in the conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Bulldogs have allowed 959 yards. Teams are completing 56.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.1 yards per try. In discussing yards on the ground, Mississippi State is giving up 158.4 yards per contest ranking them 11th in the Southeastern Conference and 70th in the country. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.6 yards per carry ranking them 12th in the SEC and 95th in D-1 overall. In total, they have conceded 792 yards rushing through 5 games.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

In their last contest, the Tennessee Volunteers played the Georgia Bulldogs and were beaten 43-14. Tim Jordan paced the team on the ground in the game. He tore off a long run of 17 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for 47 yards by way of 9 carries which gave him an average of 5.2 yards per run. Jauan Jennings was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 114 yards on 7 receptions. He averaged 16.3 yards per catch in the game. Leading the way at QB for the Volunteers was Brian Maurer who went 14/28 with 259 yards passing and tossed 2 TD's. He tossed 1 interception during the game. The Volunteers ended up rushing 29 times and totaled 70 yards which gave them an average of 2.4 yards per attempt. For the game, they finished with a total of 62 plays for a total of 343 yards. For the contest, the Volunteers racked up a total of 20 1st downs and they totaled 6 infractions for 51 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When discussing the defense, Tennessee conceded 24 completions on 29 attempts totaling 288 yards, and a completion percentage of 82.8%. On the day, they allowed 526 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers. On the ground, the Volunteers conceded 238 yards on 41 tries which gave the opponent an average of 5.8 yards per carry allowed.

Related: Get college football picks & tips on all of today's games

The Volunteers head into this matchup 1-4. In discussing the offensive production, the Volunteers have an offense that could be called mediocre in D-1. Tennessee needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 137.6 rushing yards per game, putting them 90th in the country. As a team, they have a total of 688 rushing yards through 5 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Volunteers average 352.8 yards per game overall which has them at 106th in the country and 13th in the SEC. The Volunteers are conceding 28.8 points per game ranking them 13th in the Southeastern Conference and 85th in the nation. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre units in D-1. They are allowing 209.6 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Volunteers currently sit at 6th in the SEC. When it comes to points given up, they have given up 144 total points. In discussing yards rushing, they are allowing 167.4 yards per game which puts them at 85th in college football and 12th in the SEC. In 2019, they have conceded 837 yards on the ground and 9 rushing touchdowns.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Volunteers +6.5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn