Predict the outcome of Kentucky - Ole Miss

Sep 30, 2022 - 7:03 PM

Ranked No. 7 in the country with a 4-0 record, the Kentucky Wildcats are off to a historic start as they travel to Oxford and enter the toughest stretch of the schedule.

Saturday’s game against the No. 14 ranked Ole Miss Rebels will be a battle between two undefeated teams who have played each other extremely close in recent years. In fact, in the last two matchups - dating back to 2017 - Ole Miss has won by a total of four points.

When you look at both teams, they match up very well against each other. Ole Miss is ranked 16th in total offense, whereas Kentucky is ranked 17th in total defense.

When it comes to college football odds, especially in the SEC, the location of the game being home or away is typically worth about seven points.

As it turns out, DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Ole Miss favored by seven points.

So if the game were in Lexington, it would be closer to a pick ‘em, and the Rebels would be slight favorites if the game were at a true neutral location.

Let’s dive a bit deeper.

Kentucky’s biggest storyline is the return of Chris Rodriguez Jr., an All-SEC back who has been out due to suspension. The Wildcat rushing offense will certainly benefit from his return, as they have averaged just 81.5 yards per game, compared to 199.8 yards per game a season ago.

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With that said, Kentucky is a much better and more aggressive passing team this season. The Wildcats have a first-round round quarterback prospect behind center in Will Levis, with plenty of talented receivers to throw it to. However, the offensive line has played with a lot of inconsistency, and they will need to step up against a stout Ole Miss defense that is ranked 7th in scoring defense.

As for the Rebels, Saturday’s game will be their first SEC contest of the season. Going 4-0 to start the season against inferior competition, doing so impressively. After dominating their first three opponents by a combined score of 129-13, Ole Miss squeaked out a tight battle, 35-27 against Tulsa last week.

The story for Ole Miss thus far has been their rushing attack, which is ranked 2nd in the country and averages over 280 yards per contest. However, they will be playing against a UK defense that is allowing just 3.7 yards per carry.

Both teams will need to be much sharper than they were just a week ago. With the matchup expected to be close, whichever team can limit their mistakes will put themselves in the best position to win.

How do you see this one playing out? Let us know in the poll below and in the comments section!

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