BetMGM Remains Optimistic
August 8, 2024DraftKings Expects Big Numbers in 2025
August 8, 2024What Lane Kiffin has done with the Mississippi Rebels program is pretty remarkable when you think about it. A team that’s had a few spurts of success spaced out over its nearly 120-year history did something in 2023 that no Rebels squad had ever done. Behind an electric offense, Ole Miss won a program record 11 games defeating three nationally ranked foes along the way. It was the second double-digit win campaign in three years and with a number of players returning the Rebels are thinking even bigger in 2024. Winning 10 regular season games a season ago got them OVER their 7.5 win total and the bar has been raised by oddsmakers with the 2024 win total set at 9.5 at BetMGM.
Regular Season Wins for the Mississippi Rebels
Over 9.5 ( -115 )
Under 9.5 ( -105 )
Playing in the toughest conference in college football limits what Ole Miss can and has achieved over the years. Those barriers were brought down last year with 10 regular season wins and a record 11 overall victories. Still, both losses came against the best teams in the SEC showing there is still room for improvement. In their setbacks the Rebels were stonewalled by Alabama and Georgia scoring a total of 27 points. They scored at least that many points in 10 of their other 11 games. It’s not easy to win at Ole Miss but Kiffin has done it. In his four seasons in Oxford the Rebels have produced the third-most wins in the SEC.
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Roster
Kiffin is all about offense and he’s built his teams accordingly. They weren’t as good overall last year as they were in 2022, but they were more balanced which kept opposing defenses on their toes. The Rebels ranked inside the top 20 nationally in total yards, scoring average and passing yards while producing 176.5 yards per game on the ground. They scored more than 30 points in a game eight times and posted some wicked numbers against decent defenses. Ole Miss slapped 55 points on LSU, 38 on Texas AM and racked up 540 yards and 38 points on Penn State.
Back to keep the well-oiled machine running is quarterback Jaxson Dart. At this time last year Dart was in a competition for the starting job despite being the primary QB the year prior. He won that battle and hasn’t looked back. Starting every game in 2023, Dart had a career year throwing for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He was also a threat on the ground scampering for 389 yards and eight more scores.
Although they lost do-everything back Quinshon Judkins in the portal, the offense is loaded with NFL caliber receivers and a mammoth offensive line. Still, the ground game should be imposing with Ulysses Bentley IV back for another season. He was the second leading rusher in 2023 with 540 yards averaging 5.7 yards a carry. After starting his collegiate career at Ole Miss, Henry Parrish is back from a two-year stay at Miami where he totaled 1,241 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins, who combined for 107 receptions, 1,726 yards and 11 touchdowns a season ago, are next level talents.
They got scorched by Georgia and LSU in their losses last year, but so did a bunch of other teams. Otherwise the defense was solid and made moves to be bigger and meaner in 2024. Getting Walter Nolen in free agency … uh I mean the transfer portal, was huge, just like the D tackle. At over 3 bills with quickness and strength, stopping the run will be easier. And any improvement on this side of the football makes the Rebels that much more impressive.
Schedule
You could say the schedule is easier than last year’s and you’d probably be right. However, this is the SEC and there are no gimmes, so winning those non-conference matchups are huge if the Rebels want to cash the OVER on their CFB futures bet and, more importantly, contend for a spot in the expanded college football playoff. Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern are the first four opponents and there’s a realistic chance Ole Miss can be 6-0 heading into their Week 7 contest with LSU. The Rebels also get a week off before hosting Oklahoma in Week 9. They don’t have to deal with Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Texas AM making the slate appear much lighter.
Prediction
A lot of people are buying into the hype and I’m one of them. Serious moves to upgrade a defense that finished middle-of-the-pack nationally last year will relieve some pressure. And an experienced group on offense should have the Rebels again among the most explosive teams in the country. The schedule also works in their favor with four of five road games against teams that failed to qualify for a bowl game, which is why I’m backing the OVER in this CFB bet.
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