Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs Kentucky Wildcats Betting Pick & Prediction 8/31/24
Kentucky is the heavy favorite in this week one non-conference matchup against Southern Miss, with the point spread set at -25.5. The game is scheduled for 7:45 ET at Kroger Field in Lexington, and SECN will be covering the action. This is the first game of the season for both teams, and the over/under line is currently at 50.5 points.
SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES VS KENTUCKY WILDCATS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Southern Miss Golden Eagles +25.5
This game will be played at Kroger Field at 7:45 ET on Saturday, August 31st.
WHY BET THE SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES:
- We have the Kentucky Wildcats winning this one by a score of 33 to 17
- Even though we like the Kentucky Wildcats to win, our ATS pick is to take the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at +25.5
- We see this game finishing below the line of 50.5 points
Will The Southern Miss Golden Eagles Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
Southern Miss is 104th in our pre-season power rankings after finishing last season with a 3-9 record. The Golden Eagles were 2-4 at home and 1-5 on the road, and they enter this season with a 49.4% chance of being bowl-eligible, according to our projections. Their chances of winning the Sun Belt, where they are new this season, are set at 3.6%.
Last season, Southern Miss was the underdog in eight of their 12 games. This year, they are +4260 to win the Sun Belt, ranking 12th out of the 7 teams in the conference. Our projections give them a 2% chance of winning the Sun Belt title.
Looking at the Southern Miss offense from last season, they were 80th in the country in scoring at 23.2 points per game. The passing game was a struggle, with the team averaging just 190.7 yards per game (102nd). On the ground, they averaged 163.9 yards per game, which was 69th in the nation. The team also struggled with a completion percentage of 51.8% (96th) and threw 8 interceptions.
Heading into this season, the top returning quarterback is Ethan Crawford, who threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns last year. The team also brought in Tate Rodemaker from Florida State, who threw for 510 yards last season. Rodrigues Clark, who rushed for 429 yards last season, returns as the top running back for the Golden Eagles.
Southern Miss had a tough time stopping the run last season, giving up 180.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked 141st in the nation. Their pass defense was even worse, allowing 242 passing yards per game, and they finished 91st in the country, giving up 35.8 points per game. Quarterbacks completed 56.6% of their passes against the Golden Eagles last season.
Are The Kentucky Wildcats Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
Kentucky enters the season with a 61.4% chance of being bowl-eligible, according to our pre-season power rankings, which have them 34th in the country. Last season, the Wildcats finished with a 7-6 overall record, going 3-2 on the road and 4-4 at home. They were 7-6 vs. the spread and 3-4 as the favorite, while going 4-2 as the underdog.
Despite their chances of making a bowl game, their odds to win the Southeastern Conference are slim, with the futures market placing them at +10100 to win the title. Their chances to make it to the Southeastern Conference title game are set at +4250, with an implied probability of 2%.
Ja’Mori Maclin, who had 1004 receiving yards last season, joins Kentucky as a transfer from North Texas. The Wildcats are also welcoming back wide receiver Dane Key, who recorded 636 receiving yards last season. Overall, Kentucky’s passing game averaged 211.6 yards per game, ranking 74th in the country. They also averaged 128.2 rushing yards per game, which ranked 90th nationally.
For the season, Kentucky averaged 29.1 points per game, placing them 43rd in the country. The Wildcats also struggled on third down, converting just 38% of their chances (73rd). In the backfield, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is the top returning running back for the Wildcats, and they have also added Chip Trayanum from Ohio State. At the quarterback position, Kentucky has brought in Gavin Wimsatt, who threw for 1735 yards and nine touchdowns last season at Rutgers.
Opposing offenses found success through the air last season against Kentucky, as the Wildcats’ secondary allowed 240.5 passing yards per game, ranking 126th in the nation. Despite this, Kentucky’s run defense was solid, giving up just 113.9 rushing yards per game, which was the 27th best mark in college football. Overall, Kentucky finished 54th in the country, allowing 25.8 points per game.