No. 17 Texas A&M at Mississippi State Odds, Prediction for Week 5
Odds, best bets and analysis for this college football matchup
Matthew Horner - Sep 28, 2022, 10:57pm EDT
No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies
Looking to still get the taste of being upset by Appalachian State two weeks ago out of their mouths, the Texas A&M Aggies will take the field here on the road against Mississippi State. Following that terrible loss to the Mountaineers, head coach Jimbo Fisher decided to bench QB Haynes King for LSU-transfer Max Johnson. Since making the change, A&M's knocked off two-straight ranked opponents in the form of Miami and 10th-ranked Arkansas.
We have to remember the type of team that A&M is, and that is one stacked with talent from top to bottom. There is a reason they were a top-10 ranked team heading into this season, and they have the ability to beat just about anyone on any given night. Maybe a QB change is just what the doctor ordered for a team that was struggling offensively to put up points.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Can QB Will Rogers win the Heisman? He should at least be a dark horse contender with how he has played this season, and the Bulldogs have been playing well. Three out of the Bulldogs' four outings this season have been wire-to-wire wins for Mike Leach's squad. They had a misstep against a fuming LSU team that was just coming off of their opening loss to Florida State, but other than that, it has been smooth sailing for Mississippi State in 2022.
Outside of that one poor outing, Rogers has been absolutely sensational, as he's tossed 16 touchdowns to go along with just three interceptions with an average of 347 passing yards per game. This has been one of the best offenses in the country, and they are very dangerous. There's a reason why they are favored here over a ranked opponent. The Bulldogs are good.
Mike Leach is 14-4 SU after leading in his previous game by 24 or more points at the half over his career.
My Prediction
The line in this game is very fishy to me. Yes, Texas A&M lost to a newly-promoted FBS team at home. Yes, Mississippi State has one of the best offenses in the entire country. And yes, the Bulldogs have a great home-field advantage. But to me, Texas A&M is just the overall better team. Fresh off having one of the best recruiting classes of all time coupled with an already stacked roster of talent to go along with a much more stable QB situation with Max Johnson now under center, I'll take the Aggies at plus-money here.
