Kentucky vs. Mississippi State odds, spread, lines: Week 7 college football picks, predictions by computer model
A pair of ranked SEC rivals square off this weekend as Kentucky hosts Mississippi State meet in college football's Week 7 action on Saturday.
Kentucky has lost two straight since starting undefeated, a close one to Ole Miss and a 10-point decision to South Carolina, and is 1-2 in SEC play after defeating Florida earlier this year.
Mississippi State is riding an elite offense behind quarterback Will Rogers, winning three straight, including two against SEC West rivals.
What do the experts think of the matchup? Let's see how the College Football Power Index computer prediction model projects the game.
Kentucky vs. Mississippi State picks, predictions
Week 7 college football picks: Kentucky vs. Mississippi State
The computers are siding with the visitors, as Mississippi State has the 59.8 percent chance to defeat Kentucky on Saturday.
By contrast, the Wildcats have the 40.2 percent shot to upend the Bulldogs and move to .500 in SEC competition.
The oddsmakers are also going with the road team, as Mississippi State comes in the narrow 7 point favorites over Kentucky, according to the lines at SI Sportsbook, which set the over/under mark at 47 points.
Kentucky checks in at No. 36 on the index's 131 college football rankings this week, projected to win 6.7 games this season, with an expected per-game scoring margin of plus-7.5 points against opponents on a neutral field.
Mississippi State owns the No. 13 national position on the computer's poll, projected to win 8.1 games by an average margin of 13.6 points per game.
College Football Power Index
Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance.
Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season, using a combination of analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, and a team’s schedule.
College football rankings
According to AP top 25 poll
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6. Tennessee
7. USC
8. Oklahoma State
9. Ole Miss
10. Penn State
11. UCLA
12. Oregon
13. TCU
14. Wake Forest
15. NC State
16. Mississippi State
17. Kansas State
18. Syracuse
19. Kansas
20. Utah
21. Cincinnati
T-22. Kentucky
T-22. Texas
24. Illinois
25. James Madison