After surviving a serious scare against an inspired Florida squad, Georgia was ranked fifth in this season’s first College Football Playoff rankings. But there is a lot of work left to do for Georgia to secure a CFP spot, starting with this week’s road matchup vs. Mississippi State (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Bulldogs from Athens (7-1, 5-1 SEC) have won four straight games since losing to Alabama on September 27 and are coming off a 24-20 win over rival Florida in Jacksonville. The Gators made a serious bid for the upset and led inside the final five minutes until Chauncey Bowens broke loose for a decisive 36-yard touchdown run.
Another tough test looms this week against the Bulldogs from Starkville (5-4, 1-4 SEC), who won 38-35 at Arkansas last Saturday, their first SEC victory in more than two years.
After knocking on the door against Tennessee, Florida, and Texas, MSU overcame a two-touchdown deficit in the final quarter in Fayetteville, scoring the final 17 points to win a conference game for the first time since a 7-3 win in their last trip to Fayetteville on October 21, 2023.
Georgia is still very much in the mix to reach the SEC Championship Game for the eighth time in nine seasons, but they must win in Starkville and at home against Texas on November 15 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and hope for the right set of stumbles between Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0) and/or Alabama (7-1, 5-0).
The matchup with the Longhorns certainly looms large, but they can’t look past a team that has shown some steel this season. Read on for our Georgia vs. Mississippi State prediction and best bets. Also, get the best betting odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Georgia vs. Mississippi State Betting Trends
- Georgia is 3-4-1 against the spread this season and has been favored in every game thus far.
- The Bulldogs are 2-0 SU and 1-0-1 in true road games thus far this season.
- The under is 4-3-1 in Georgia’s eight games.
- Mississippi State is 8-1 against the spread this season, including 4-1 ATS in SEC games and 6-1 ATS as an underdog.
- The Bulldogs have covered in their last three games.
- Mississippi State is 4-2 SU and 6-0 ATS at home this season.
- The under is 4-5 in Mississippi State’s games this season, but the over is 3-2 in their SEC games.
Georgia vs. Mississippi State Prediction and Best Bets
Prediction: Mississippi State to win
If Mississippi State had executed better in crunch time against Tennessee, Florida, and Texas, they would be in the CFP mix.
Alas, they did not, so the best they can hope for is a first bowl game since 2022. But they can cause a lot of consternation as they take on three ranked opponents in their last three games. After this week’s Bulldog battle, they will visit Missouri (No. 22 in this week’s CFP rankings) next week, then finish the regular season with the annual Egg Bowl showdown against Ole Miss (No. 6 in this week’s CFP rankings).
They did that in the most recent Georgia vs. Mississippi State matchup. In Athens last season, the hosts appeared to be well on the way to a blowout win after leading 34-10 early in the third. But MSU made things rather interesting, and the eventual 41-31 loss was one of several creditable efforts against quality opposition.
With how the men in maroon have performed this season, Saturday’s contest in Starkville should be a very competitive one throughout, even if they fall short.
Mississippi State owns just one win over Georgia in the last half-century (thanks in part to the quirks of SEC scheduling), but don’t be surprised to see them match that number Saturday.
They have shown that they can play with elite competition, and if they can execute when it matters, they can pull the upset against a team that has been played close in every SEC game but a 35-14 win over Kentucky.
Georgia vs. Mississippi State Best Bets
1) Mississippi State +9.5 (-106 at Lucky Rebel)
This is a lot of points when MSU is at home, where they beat then-No. 12 Arizona State, led Tennessee by a touchdown late before losing in overtime and led Texas by 17 before the Longhorns rallied for an overtime win and when Georgia’s 8-1 record covers up some less than convincing play.
2) Blake Shapen (Mississippi State) Over 225.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Bovada)
Shapen missed the last Georgia vs. Mississippi State matchup after suffering a season-ending injury four games into the season, but he will be key to MSU’s hopes of an upset Saturday.
He was sacked 21 times in the losses to Tennessee (six), Texas A&M (four), Florida (four), and Texas (seven), and the pressure affected his ability to execute in some crucial moments.
But while three of those four teams (all but Florida) have 30+ sacks this season, Georgia has just eight sacks. If Shapen has time to throw, he has the receivers to make some big plays and get this number over the line for the fourth consecutive game.
3) Anthony Evans III (Mississippi State) Over 57.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Lucky Rebel)
One of those receivers is Evans, who transferred from Athens to Starkville after catching only 13 passes for 123 yards in two seasons at Georgia.
In nine games this season, Evans has already quadrupled that number of receptions (52) and has more than five times as many receiving yards (653). Also, after catching just one touchdown pass at Georgia, he has four scores this season, including two at Arkansas as part of a five-catch, 111-yard performance.
After setting a new career high in yards in Fayetteville, Evans would love nothing more than to surpass that high while leading his new team to a big upset win over his old team. He has gone over 57.5 yards six times this season, including each of the last three games.
While you’re at it, be sure to sprinkle some coins on Evans to score a touchdown anytime (+150 at Lucky Rebel). Win or lose, he should have a productive afternoon.
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