The Ole Miss Rebels and Duke Blue Devils are a little over a week away from their showdown in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, and the two teams enter the matchup with some contrasting storylines.
Ole Miss is entering this game with very few opt outs, even after it had high preseason hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff and failed to do so. Duke, on the other hand, isn’t coming in at full strength as its star quarterback Maalik Murphy entered the transfer portal earlier this month and has now committed to Oregon State.
The Rebels opened as a sizable favorite in this matchup when the bowl destinations were announced, but where do things currently stand in Vegas? According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the odds are still heavily in Ole Miss’ favor.
The Rebels are favored by 14.5 points in the current odds, and Duke’s money line comes in at +480 compared to Ole Miss’ mark of -690. Vegas still views Lane Kiffin’s team as having the clear advantage in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2.
Still, that doesn’t always guarantee a win. On multiple occasions this season, Ole Miss entered a game as a heavy favorite and walked away with a head-scratching loss, specifically in games against Kentucky and Florida. Those losses helped sink the Rebels’ chances of reaching the College Football Playoff and ultimately sent them to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Part of the reason behind Ole Miss’ favorable odds could be its opt out situation (especially on defense) which Kiffin recently spoke to during a media availability.
“I think everybody but [linebacker] Pooh [Paul] is playing. I don’t think he is,” Kiffin said. “So I think that really speaks volumes to a lot of things. Not to be in the playoffs, you look what happens around the country or even last year in the Orange Bowl how players didn’t play, I that says a lot. That says a lot about [our] culture and locker room, how they feel about each other.”
Kickoff in the Gator Bowl is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 2, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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