Ole Miss vs. Auburn Week 9 Picks: Back the Home Faves off the Bye

Mississippi is coming off a big win over LSU while the Tigers are rested after a Week 8 bye. Find out why we like the home team to prevail in our Ole Miss and Auburn picks for Week 9.

The Mississippi Rebels had a 31-7 lead after the third quarter in last week’s win over LSU and held on for the cover as 9-point favorites. Auburn, meanwhile, is rested off a bye week comes into this game having won three of their last four games.

The Rebels are 4-2-1 against the spread while the Tigers, who are slim favorites at home, have covered in four of seven games this season.

Here are my picks and predictions for the college football Week 9 matchup between Ole Miss and Auburn (odds via DraftKings; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Ole Miss vs. Auburn Game Info

Date/Time: Saturday, October 30, 7 p.m. ETTV: ESPNLocation: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, ALWeather: 54 degrees, 50 percent chance of precipitation

Ole Miss vs. Auburn Odds Analysis

The Tigers are -2 point home favorites, which means the Rebels are underdogs for just the second time this season. Mississippi failed to cover as a 15-point road underdog against Alabama (ranked No. 1 at the time) in the only other game it wasn't favored in. Some sportsbooks have the line listed at Auburn -2.5, but none have reached the key number of -3 yet.

As for the total for this Ole Miss and Auburn matchup, the Over/Under is 66 points. High totals are common for Ole Miss given the team's explosive offense. Auburn, on the other hand, is not accustomed to such large numbers. This will be just the second game all season that it has had a projected total in the 60s.

Ole Miss vs. Auburn Betting Picks

Auburn -2 (-110) (??)Under 66 (-110) (???)

SEE MORE: College Football Week 9 Opening Lines and Picks

Ole Miss vs. Auburn Betting Predictions

Auburn -2 (-110)

Perhaps no matchup on the Week 9 slate is bigger than No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 18 Auburn. These two teams, along with Alabama, have one conference loss in the SEC West. A loss in this game could effectively end each team’s chances of appearing in the SEC Championship game.

Many bettors will back Ole Miss in this contest, citing more confidence in Rebels quarterback Matt Corral than Tigers QB Bo Nix. Nix has played much better since getting benched in their Week 4 game against Georgia State, however, and has given the Auburn coaching staff reason to trust him. Nix is coming off a game where he completed better than 80 percent of his passes while accounting for three total touchdowns in a win over Arkansas.

He has done a great job at utilizing all his skill position players, as three Auburn receivers have 20 or more catches and seven others have at least five receptions. The Tigers' balance offensively and the fact that they are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games off a bye week are why we like them to prevail at slim home faves for this Saturday night matchup.

Under 66 (-110)

The Ole Miss defense had one of its best performances of the season in last week’s win over LSU. The week prior, LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price ran for a school-record 287 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rebels defense held him to just 53 yards on 17 carries.

In addition, it was Ole Miss’ best game from a pass rush perspective, as it sacked LSU quarterback Max Johnson five times and had him under relentless pressure.

Auburn will be smart enough not to get into a shootout with an Ole Miss team that ranks No. 15 nationally with 41.9 points per game. And LSU seemingly provided a blueprint for how to slow down Corral, a Heisman Trophy contender, holding him to a season-low 185 passing yards and one touchdown.

The under is 8-2 in Auburn’s last 10 conference games, and the Tigers will be content to play this one at a snail’s pace.

SEE ALSO: College Football Week 9 Power Rankings

Picks made on 10/21/2021 at 10:23 a.m. ET.