Beyond dominating the Texas State Bobcats and the UTSA Roadrunners, the Texas Longhorns have looked extremely shaky through the first seven games of the season.
Yes, those matchups have included three ranked wins (over Ohio State, Tennessee, and Ole Miss), but they have also included unranked losses (to Oklahoma and Florida).
So, as the Horns' SEC schedule continues to unfold over the next five weeks, it's well past time for Texas to secure a dominant victory over a Power Conference opponent. And luckily, that's exactly what Vegas oddsmakers expect out of the Longhorns in Week 9.
Texas will host the unranked and beat-up Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, and with six days until kickoff, the early odds were heavily in the Horns' favor.
Spread, moneyline, total for Texas Longhorns vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Spread: -20.5 Texas, +20.5 Mississippi State
- Moneyline: -1400 Texas, +800 Mississippi State
- Over/Under: +/-50.5 points
Oddsmakers set the point spread at 20.5 points in Texas's favor, with the total set at only 50.5 points. That would equate to a final score somewhere in the ballpark of 35-15, with the Horns coming out on top.
When looking at the moneyline, which changes frequently throughout the week leading up to kickoff, one would have to bet $1,400 on the Horns securing the win to walk away with just a $100 profit. Meanwhile, someone could be just $100 on the Bulldogs pulling off the upset to walk away with $800 to their name if it actually happened.
Odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game 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.
This kind of dominant performance is the exact kind of thing that Texas is in need of in Week 9. The Horns just secured a bounce-back win over Ole Miss to return to the win column and get things back on track.
However, even last season, a worse-off Mississippi State squad was able to take the Longhorns into overtime, with the Horns eking out a win that actually included quarterback Arch Manning going down with a concussion.
Manning and his offense need to put on a show; in fact, it's past time for that to happen, and the Texas defense needs to be able to dominate an MSU offense that has been fairly beat up over the last few weeks, including star quarterback Kamario Taylor being off and on the injury list.
The No. 11 Texas Longhorns (5-2 overall, 2-2 SEC) and the Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-3 overall, 2-3 SEC) are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Fans can tune into ESPN to see the action take place, and hopefully they get to witness the Horns put on an absolute demolition of the Dawgs.
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