Mississippi State and Arizona State meet Saturday in college football action from Davis Wade Stadium. Here’s a Mississippi State vs Arizona State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Arizona State Sun Devils pick.
How Good Or Bad is Mississippi State?
One of the biggest question marks of any college football team is how good or bad this Mississippi State team is. Many believe this is a team that is going to struggle to win games, but there are others who think this is a team that could surprise some people. In the first game against Southern Miss, they let them stick around until halftime, but in the second half they pulled away and ended up winning 34-17.
Blake Shapen completed 26 of his 34 passes for 270 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The top running back, Davon Booth finished with 16 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown. In this game, the Bulldogs are going to need to get out to a faster start, to really put the pressure on.
Why Mississippi State Will Beat Arizona State
- Mississippi State has won seven of its last eight home openers.
- Arizona State has lost eight of its last 10 games in September.
- Mississippi State has covered the spread in each of its last five games against top-15 AP-ranked teams.
- Arizona State has failed to cover the spread in each of its last three road openers as a favorite.
How Good is Arizona State?
A lot of the talent from this Arizona State squad from last year is gone, but they still return a lot of talent, and another dominating win here would make the statement. Arizona State faced off against Northern Arizona in the first game of the season, and were able to pick up the 38-19 victory. At the end of the first quarter they were up 14-0, and they never looked back on the way to the win.
Sam Leavitt is the real deal and he had another strong game, completing 25 of his 39 passes for 257 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Cam Skattebo is moved to the New York Giants, but they have already quickly found his replacement. Jordan Tyson had a huge game finishing with 12 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns. The defense did have a couple of lapses that could be cleaned up, but overall, there weren’t many negatives that could be taken away from that game.
Why Arizona State Will Beat Mississippi State
- Mississippi State has lost each of its last eight games against AP-ranked teams.
- The favorite has won each of Mississippi State’s last 10 games.
- Arizona State has covered the spread in seven of its last eight games as a favorite.
- Mississippi State has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five home games in September.
Mississippi State vs Arizona State Prediction
Arizona State is going to find success in this game. I think the people are low on Mississippi State are right, and I am not sold on this team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Tyson ran wild in the first game, while Leavitt lit it up through the air, and that is something that will continue here. I am not sold on this Mississippi State running game getting much success on the ground, and that is going to be the difference here as the favorites are going to come out ahead. Back Arizona State against the spread.