Top USA sportsbooks online favor Mississippi State over Texas Tech when the two meet for the first time ever in the Autozone Liberty Bowl in Memphis. The Bulldogs opened as solid favorites at the best online sportbooks. Mississippi State has appeared in the Liberty Bowl four times. They are 3-1 in those games.
Mississippi State opened as an 8.5-point fave following a season where it had three wins over ranked teams. Two of them by double digits. The total opened at 59.5 points. Both schools score about 30 points per game. Both have been playing better defense lately. Each squad allows fewer than 25 points per game over its last two contests.
Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State Odds
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Tech | +9 ( -110 ) | 59½ ( -110 ) | +270 |  |
| Mississippi St | -9 ( -110 ) | 59½ ( -110 ) | -330 | |
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Betting Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders are underdogs per top sportsbooks online. The Red Raiders lost four of their past five games. But they held Baylor and Oklahoma State, the two teams in the Big 12 championship game, to a total of 50 points.
Their single win in that period also came against a strong Iowa State team that was in and out of the rankings all season long. The Texas Tech defense has stepped up coming into the second half. In their past six games, the Red Raiders have allowed only three points on the opening drive of the second half.
One aspect where Texas Tech has room for improvement is guarding the football. The Raiders have committed at least one turnover in each game this season. They are -8 in turnover differential.
Betting Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are the favorites of top sportsbooks online. After they lost three of four games at the start of the season, the Bulldogs bounced back and got four wins in their last six games. With Mike Leach’s air raid offense, Mississippi State established a single-season school record with 486 completions. That topped the previous mark by 113.
Leach has quite a history with Texas Tech. Back in the day, he left the Raiders for the greener pastures of Washington State. And by greener we mean money-wise. Tension still exists between the two sides. Leach claims that the school still owes him money from the 2009 season.
As the Mississippi State Bulldogs get ready to play Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl, Leach has joked that the Red Raiders could simply give him the check then. Leach will be super motivated to beat his former employers. He’ll have his boys ready to play. The Liberty Bowl is scheduled for Tuesday, December 28, at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN.
Quarterback Will Rogers passed for 4,449 yards. That is second-most in the country. One number to remember is 30. Mississippi State is 5-0 this season when they scored 30 or more points. They are just 2-5 when they fail to reach that figure. This is a good point to keep in mind if you want to give the points and take the Bulldogs. Because it means that they always win when they score more than 30 points. But tend to lose when they don’t.
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Pick
The Red Raiders could win their first bowl game since 2013 as long as they hold the Bulldogs offense back. If they play the same as they did against Baylor, they can keep Mississippi State under 30 points. That would give them a good chance at the upset.
The Bulldogs can nab their second consecutive bowl win provided they can control the time of possession. As well as limit their number of passing plays. They have gone 4-1 this season when Rogers makes fewer than 50 passing attempts.
