Texas Favored by 20.5 Points Over Mississippi State as the Longhorns Look for a Dominant Halloween Win
Early FanDuel odds make No. 11 Texas a 20.5-point favorite over Mississippi State at DKR on Saturday night, with a moneyline of -1400 and a total of 50.5 - a projection of the dominant win the Longhorns have not yet produced against a Power Conference opponent this season.
AUSTIN — The oddsmakers expect Halloween night at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to be a rout. Early odds from FanDuel Sportsbook make No. 11 Texas a 20.5-point favorite over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, with a moneyline of -1400 for Texas and +800 for Mississippi State and a total of 50.5 points, according to Hookem Headlines' rundown of the opening lines. Those numbers imply a final score in the neighborhood of 35-15.
The projection is as much about what Texas has not done as what it has. The Longhorns are 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC, with three ranked wins - over Ohio State, Tennessee and, on Saturday, Ole Miss, 34-27 in Austin - alongside unranked losses to Oklahoma and Florida. A dominant win over a Power Conference opponent has eluded them, and the Ole Miss result, while a bounce-back win, was another one-score game late.
Mississippi State arrives 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC, and beat up: as this station reported earlier today, the Bulldogs expect to know more within 48 hours about quarterback Kamario Taylor, who reaggravated an injury against Oklahoma after missing the LSU game. History also counsels caution - last season, a worse-off Mississippi State team took Texas to overtime before the Longhorns escaped.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central on Saturday, October 31, on ESPN. Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
