Betting lines, game preview, and prediction for Tennessee vs. Mississippi State

Tennessee is right in the thick of the race for the College Football Playoff. They are ranked No. 7 in the first round of rankings.

Even if it loses one more game, it will still be in the running for the SEC Championship. However, it has to go to Georgia next, and it will not be easy to get to Vanderbilt to end the regular season.

They beat UMass last week, which was their first win over an FBS team. There are only three games left, and they are against Missouri and Ole Miss. Anything good that happens in those last two games will be gold going into 2025.

This is its chance to play spoiler.

Mississippi State vs Tennessee: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
How to Watch: ESPN
Venue: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
Teams: Tennessee (7-1), Mississippi State (2-7)

Why Mississippi State Will Win

Things are still going well with the passing game.

Against UMass, it did not have to do much, but against Arkansas, it rolled for over 300 yards. In the last four games, except for the loss to Texas, it went over 200 yards in every game.

Tennessee’s offense is fine, but it is not really blowing people away. To win, they are more careful, depend on the running game, and expect the defense to step up.

Mississippi State should not be done with this game too soon. It can stay in the game as long as the passing game works well, but…

Why Tennessee Will Win

The lines in Mississippi are not good enough.

The run defense is not working, there is no pass rush, and the offensive line is not pulling the ball down enough consistently. The worst thing is that the offensive line is getting smashed; there is no pass protection at all.

Every game, the Bulldogs let in 3.22 sacks and almost eight tackles for loss. Tennessee is very good at getting into the backfield and is very strong on third downs.

When it comes to third down defense, the No. 1 team in the country makes it impossible for Mississippi State’s offense to keep things moving and set the pace.

Mississippi State vs Tennessee: Who Will Win?

Mississippi State will keep pushing the offense and wing it around to try pressing the Volunteer secondary, but it’ll stall way too often.

Tennessee will barrel away with Dylan Sampson carrying the attack.

The star Vol back has 19 touchdown runs as one of the nation’s most consistent backs, and he’ll take over early on. The Bulldogs have been able to keep most games relatively close, and but they won’t keep up.