Tennessee football: SEC, top 25 picks and bets for Week 2 of 2021
![Pregame flyover before the NCAA football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Bowling Green Falcons held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021.Kns Ut Football Bowling Green Bp Pregame flyover before the NCAA football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Bowling Green Falcons held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021.Kns Ut Football Bowling Green Bp](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/901340f295f856224b7ea1cb2100d9d3bfcffab550c96638982bab7249540cbc.jpg)
N.C. State Wolfpack at Mississippi State Bulldogs (ESPN2)
Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. ET; Davis Wade Stadium; Starkville, Miss.
Line: N.C. State -1; Over/Under: 55.5
Moneyline: N.C. State -120; Mississippi State +100
It’s a battle between two head coaches Tennessee football almost hired in 2017. Mike Leach and Dave Doeren will go head to head. Both programs enter this season with cautious optimism, and after a 1-0 start, they are a bit more excited.
Doeren’s N.C. State Wolfpack had an impressive 45-0 win over the South Florida Bulls to open the season, and coming off an 8-4 campaign last year, they have reason to be excited. With the Furman Paladins on the slate next week, they can be all in on this game.
Meanwhile, Leach’s Mississippi State Bulldogs suffered a major scare last week. They had to come back from 34-14 down to beat the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 35-34. This is typical of a Leach coached team, and anybody who has followed him for any period of time knows this has no bearing on how his team plays the next week.
Prediction
The consistency of Leach’s inconsistencies means MSU will win this week. N.C. State has a good defense, but this will be one of those games in which Mississippi State’s offense clicks on all cylinders. The ACC needs a big win, but it won’t come here. Take MSU to cover, and in a surprise shootout, take the over as well.
Mississippi State: 31 N.C. State 28 (Mississippi State +1; Over 55.5)