Odds, predictions, best bets for Saturday’s SEC battle

Kentucky passed its first test of the season in Week 1.

It wasn’t exactly pretty, but the Wildcats took care of Toledo, 24-16, avoiding a potential banana skin against one of the better programs in the Group of 5.

An SEC team beating the MAC favorite shouldn’t be a big deal, but it was an important result for Kentucky in what has been projected to be a down year in Lexington.

A much stiffer test, Ole Miss, awaits Mark Stoops and the Wildcats on Saturday.

Ole Miss vs. Kentucky odds, prediction

Sentiment also seems lukewarm around Ole Miss in 2025, thanks to the departure of quarterback Jaxson Dart.

But Dart, a first-round pick playing for the Giants, wasn’t the only key member of last year’s electric roster to leave.

The Rebels only return 47 percent of their production from 2024, the second-lowest mark in the SEC.

With Dart and plenty of his supporting cast out of the picture, there were plenty of reasons to doubt that Ole Miss could match their 10-3 record from last year, let alone step forward and into the College Football Playoff.

Folks are singing a different tune now, however.

Betting on College Football?

It was only Georgia State, but Austin Simmons’ debut as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback couldn’t have gone better.

The Rebels hung 63 points on the Panthers, with Simmons throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns. He did toss two picks, but one was not his fault.

Kentucky represents a big step up for Simmons and the new-look Rebels, but the Wildcats’ defense could be porous in 2025 after losing several key contributors from a good-but-not-great unit last year.

The Kentucky offense, meanwhile, sputtered in 2024 and didn’t look all that convincing against Toledo.

Perhaps Zach Calzada needed to shake off the rust against the Rockets, but 85 yards through the air won’t keep pace with what they’ll see from Ole Miss on Saturday.

Kiffin, Simmons and the Rebels have taken money and moved through the key number of 10, but this has blowout written all over it.

A two-score spread is a hurdle this offense can clear.

The Play: Ole Miss -10.5 (+110, FanDuel)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.