Ole Miss vs Mississippi point spread: Picking Rebels vs Bulldogs

The last week of the 2023 college football season will bring us one of the most historic rivalries in the SEC between the Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs, also known as the Egg Bowl. In the days leading up to the game, on the Andy Staples On3 Podcast, the college football expert brought in Jake Crain to discuss the matchup and make their betting picks for the game.

How to watch Ole Miss vs. Mississippi

Time/Date: 6:30 P.M. CT/ Nov. 23
Channel: ESPN, FuboTV
Location: Starkville, MS

“Fan Duel has this at Mississippi State +12.5,” said Staples. “I’ve seen it in other places at Mississippi State +11; Ole Miss is gonna cover whatever the spread is. In this rivalry, you don’t feel bad for the other team if they fire their coach. You beat them down if you can beat them down.”

2023 has been tough for Mississippi State, and it all started last season with the tragic loss of former head coach Mike Leach. His passing left the program in a proverbial tailspin. His defensive coordinator, Zach Arnett, was hired to replace him, But his coaching team did not survive its first season as he was fired promptly following the Bulldogs’ 51-10 loss to Texas A&M in Week 11.

Crain is stride for stride with Staples’s assessment and agrees that Ole Miss should not show any mercy to their in-state rival despite the current disarray of the program. In fact, the college football expert takes it a step further and suggests the Rebels beat the Bulldogs so badly that they set the program back as far as they possibly can.

“If you get a chance to step on the throat, you step on the throat,” said Crain. “You want to set them back as far as you possibly can when they are down.

“Here’s what I’ll say about this game: Mississippi State is going to play free. They’re going to play loose, and that’s great. It is a great story (of) what Greg Knox has been able to do coming off the firing of Zach Arnett, who took over following the tragic loss of Mike Leach… I think Mississippi State will put up a fight early; this game will be tighter than what people think, maybe even going into halftime.”

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Although not seen above, the biggest reason Crain believes Ole Miss should take this route is to benefit head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin has caught a ton of slack during his time as the Rebels head coach for his inability to win more than 10 games consistently in a season or pick up victories when they matter most.