For the Ole Miss Rebels the season starts Saturday. Sure, putting up better than 70 points in the first two games is impressive, but UT-Martin and Fresno State aren’t top-tier competition. We’ll see just how good the Rebels are when they battle the No. 2 Tide on the road in a crucial SEC West meat-grinder game.
Ole Miss knocked off Alabama last season, handing the Tide its only regular season defeat, and goes for consecutive series wins for the first time ever.
ODDS
There’s been a lot of movement on the line since it opened at Alabama -8. The betting public sided with the Rebels, wagering that number down to -6.5. The total has moved as well from its opening 49.5 to the current 54.
KEY MISMATCH
Alabama has a significant size advantage against Mississippi, especially on the offensive and defensive lines, and it only makes sense that the Crimson Tide will try to wear the Rebels down. Alabama is averaging 74 plays a game, which is actually more than the 68 Ole Miss averages. The game plan will include a heavy dose of running back Derrick Henry, especially as the game progresses. Last year, he had 37 yards on 17 carries against the Rebels, but T.J. Yeldon had 123 on 20 attempts. Rebels’ coach Hugh Freeze called Alabama’s defensive front seven “as talented as I have ever seen. They are as deep and talented as you can imagine.” The Tide will do everything they can to frustrate quarterback Chad Kelly, which will include different blitzes and personnel packages when possible. The line got good push the first two games and knocked down six passes.
KEY STAT
74.5 – Scoring average for Ole Miss after two games. The Rebels are off to a record-setting offensive start, becoming the first SEC team to score at least 73 points in back-to-back games. The explosions came against teams that aren’t exactly football superpowers, but 70 is a number Arena League teams rarely reach.
BETTING ANGLE
Ole Miss, ranked No. 15 in the latest AP Top-25 Poll, was the only team to beat Alabama during the regular season last year, knocking the Crimson Tide from their No. 1 ranking. However this year the SEC West matchup will be played at No. 2 Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium, where head coach Nick Saban has never lost a league opener. Alabama is 25-1 against the Rebels as the home team, including 12 straight wins.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Kelly hasn’t been in the SEC long, but he understands the significance of conference games. Kelly, who was also recruited by Alabama, has directed the Rebels to a pair of lopsided wins against less than stellar competition. And while that is a blemish against them, they looked really good in doing it. He’ll get a shot against the best in the SEC and he’ll have to perform without top lineman Laremy Tunsil protecting his blindside. This could pose a big problem for the Rebels in the passing game. Alabama will eventually wear down the Rebels with their punishing ground attack, keeping Kelly and the Ole Miss offense off the field. As long as Jake Coker isn’t called on to make big plays for Bama’s offense, the Tide should roll to the victory.
Alabama 30, Mississippi 23
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -8 in favor of the Crimson Tide. The NCAA lines total surfaced at 49.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Mississippi Rebels and Alabama Crimson Tide will take place Saturday, September 19, 2015, at 9:15 p.m. ET at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
