Mississippi State odds: Auburn favored by 2.5 as Bulldogs try to end a five-game skid

Auburn is favored by 2.5 points at Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 14 (ESPN2), and that game is the only Bulldogs price that matters right now. At 4-5 overall and 2-5 in SEC play, Mississippi State has no real path to the SEC Championship Game or the College Football Playoff. Its futures picture now comes down to one question: can it reach six wins and a bowl game?

The Southern Line's Mississippi State team page is the full guide to the program and its season. This story covers what has changed this week and where Saturday's prices stand.

Where the market has Saturday's game

On this site's Auburn at Mississippi State odds board, 12 venues are posting prices. At Novig, one of those venues, Auburn is favored at -133 on the moneyline and Mississippi State is +130. Those prices put the Tigers' win chance at about 57 percent and the Bulldogs' at about 43 percent, before the margin is removed. Hard Rock Bet has the shortest Auburn moneyline on the board at -130.

Novig has the spread at Auburn -2.5 (-108) and Mississippi State +2.5 (+106). Some books list it at Auburn -1.5, and BetRivers prices that number at -122. The total is 51.5 at Novig, with the over at +102 and the under at -111. Pinnacle sits lower at 50. Sportsbook hold ranges from about 3.6 to 7 percent depending on the market, so the price on the same outcome can vary a lot from one venue to the next.

A line that close says the market sees this as nearly even, even with a home team that has lost five straight.

How the season turned

According to ESPN results, Mississippi State started 4-0. It beat UL Monroe 62-13 and Minnesota 38-13, won 41-34 at South Carolina and beat then-No. 19 Missouri 31-24. In those four games the Bulldogs scored 172 points and allowed 84.

The next five went badly. Alabama won 56-23 in Starkville. LSU (31-0) and Texas (31-3) held the offense to a combined three points on the road. Oklahoma won 23-15, and last week Vanderbilt won 25-23. Over the losing streak Mississippi State has scored 64 points and allowed 166. The two most recent losses were by eight and two points, which helps explain why the market still sees Saturday as close.

What is still on the table

The SEC Championship Game is out of reach with five conference losses, and so is a playoff bid. Any Mississippi State championship or playoff futures still listed are priced as long shots and have no realistic path.

The goal now is a bowl game. At 4-5, the Bulldogs need two more wins in their final three games to reach six. Beating Auburn at home would leave them one win short with two games to play. A loss would mean they have to win both remaining games.

On legality

Mississippi allows sports wagering in person at licensed casinos for adults 21 and over. Statewide mobile sportsbook apps are not authorized there. Whether a given venue is available depends on the law where you are physically located. Check that venue's eligibility rules for your state, and follow your state's law.