On New Year’s Day night, the seventh-ranked Baylor Bears and the eighth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels will battle it out at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Bears are 11-2 this season and are riding a four-game winning streak, while the Rebels are currently 10-2 while also riding a four-game winning streak.
Baylor at Ole Miss Betting Preview
Baylor Bears Preview: Balanced Offense Works Well
The Baylor offense has been playing very well offensively as they are averaging 32.5 points per game this season on 430.3 total yards of offense. The Bears are balanced as less than a yard per game separates their rushing and passing game.
Senior running back Abram Smith has been nothing short of dominant this season as he has 232 rushing attempts for 1,429 yards (6.2 yards per carry) with 12 rushing touchdowns and 12 receptions for 69 yards (5.8 yards per catch).
Junior quarterback Gerry Bohanon has been playing pretty well himself. Still, the balanced attack will put them in a great position to be highly successful and keep the defense on their toes.
The Bears’ defense has been playing exceptionally well as they are giving up 19.2 points on 347.6 total yards per game.
Senior safety Jalen Pitre has led the defense as he currently has two forced fumbles, two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and 2.5 sacks.
This defense is allowing 116.8 rushing yards per game, so they should be able to limit what the Rebels can do on that front.
Ole Miss Rebels Preview: Chunk Plays Throughout
The Ole Miss offense has been one of the best in picking up large amounts of yards and points as they are scoring 35.9 points on 506.7 yards per game this season.
Junior quarterback Matt Corral has been playing very well this season as he has a 157.5 quarterback rating while completing 68.4 percent of his passes for 3,339 yards with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Senior wide receiver Dontario Drummond has recorded 67 catches for 924 yards (13.8 yards per reception) with eight touchdowns, so as long as he can continue getting open, the Rebels will be able to put up big yardage and score.
This season, the Rebels defense is a decent group as they are allowing 25 points on 427.8 yards per game.
Senior defensive lineman Sam Williams has been leading the charge and getting into the backfield as he has 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and a pass deflection throughout the season.
Ole Miss needs to sure up against the opposing running game as they are giving up 182 rushing yards per game this season.
Who to Bet on Bears at Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels are currently listed as a 1.5 point favorite in this neutral-site bowl game, but I am big on the Baylor Bears in this matchup.
The Bears are 9-4 against the spread this season and should be able to run the ball extremely well with Smith in this game against this weak Rebels rushing defense.
Bohanon is listed as probable as he is dealing with a hamstring injury, but freshman kicker Caden Costa is listed as questionable for the Rebels with an undisclosed injury. A close game usually ends up on the shoulders of their kicker.
All in all, go with the Baylor Bears getting 1.5 points in this game.