Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Betting
As the coaching carousel spun out of control, there was no noise at all from Mississippi State. Mike Leach arrived with great fanfare after the 2019 campaign. Thus far, Leach has exceeded expectations. Leach has plenty of fanboys in the media. But within the football community, he faces plenty of doubters. It is said that Leach is too stubborn to adapt and built a running game to compliment his Air Raid attack. Of major concern is that Leach is loathing to break a sweat recruiting. In the SEC, that equates to career suicide.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Weekly Odds
Texas Tech Red Raiders +9.5
Mississippi State Bulldogs -9.5
Total 60
Weekly Matchup
On Tuesday, December 28, 2021, the Mississippi State Bulldogs will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The game will be played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Kickoff time is set for 6:45 p.m. ET with television coverage on ESPN.
In this situation, betting action will go to a Mississippi State majority. SEC pedigree figures into that expectation. Further, Hail State coach Mike Leach is a popular draw in his own right. This year, Mississippi State is respected for big wins over Texas A&M and Auburn. By contrast, Texas Tech is being coached by interim Sonny Cumbie. Cumbie is out the door to become the head man of Louisiana Tech. So he will be juggling two jobs heading into this game.
Of course, the big storyline is Leach going up against the team that fired him a decade ago. Leach was never paid what he felt he was owed in the settlement. Thus, he holds a raging grudge to this very day. By most accounts, the cause of the firing (player abuse) was never proven.
Last game, Texas Tech lost at Baylor 27-24 as 14-point dogs. Also, the Red Raiders and Bears went under the total of 52. As a result, Texas Tech is 6-6 straight up, 6-5-1 against the spread, and 5-7 over/under. Overall, the Red Raiders rank 61st for total offense and 53rd for scoring offense. Defensively, TTU ranks 91st for overall defense and 104th for points allowed.
Previous Game Recap
Last game, Ole Miss beat Mississippi State 31-21- as a 2.5-point road dog. The Rebels and Bulldogs game went under the total of 65. Now Ole Miss has a record of 10-2 straight up, 7-4-1 against the spread, and 3-9 over/under. Overall, Ole Miss ranks 5th for total offense and 18th for scoring offense. While defensively, the Rebels rank 101st overall and 55th for points allowed.
Mike Leach and the Bulldogs have a bright future on offense. Sophomore quarterback Will Rogers threw for a 150.2 rating and 4449 yards with 35 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Rogers and Leach work well together, and the QB has Hail State in position to win almost every game.
In Leach’s second year, what was most surprising was a defense that remained an asset. It is true that Leach inherited a strong defense from Joe Moorhead’s program. But as those players move on, what will be left behind? And this is where the doubts about Leach’s recruiting come into play.
Mike Leach is a pure “system” coach. He plugs quarterbacks into his Air Raid system, and they become All-Conference performers. But his coaching career does not show a consistent record of producing strong defenses. While Hail State will draw players because of its SEC affiliation, they won’t likely be on par with Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Texas A&M.
On the whole, Leach has outperformed expectations at Mississippi State. But part of the intrigue of following his programs is all of the uncertainty that comes with that.
2021 Mississippi State Bulldogs Schedule
| Date |
Opponent |
Score |
Record |
| Sep 4 |
vs. Louisiana Tech |
W 35-34 |
1-0 |
| Sep 11 |
vs. NC State |
W 24-10 |
2-0 |
| Sep 18 |
at Memphis |
L 29-31 |
2-1 |
| Sep 25 |
vs. LSU |
L 25-28 |
2-2 |
| Oct 2 |
at Texas A&M |
W 26-22 |
3-2 |
| Oct 9 |
OFF |
| Oct 16 |
vs. Alabama |
L 9-49 |
3-3 |
| Oct 23 |
at Vanderbilt |
W 45-6 |
4-3 |
| Oct 30 |
vs. Kentucky |
W 31-17 |
5-3 |
| Nov 6 |
at Arkansas |
L 28-31 |
5-4 |
| Nov 13 |
at Auburn |
W 43-34 |
6-4 |
| Nov 20 |
vs. Tennessee State |
W 55-10 |
7-4 |
| Nov 25 |
vs. Ole Miss |
L 21-31 |
7-5 |
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