Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Liberty Bowl Betting Preview

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— Tuesday, December 28th Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Liberty Bowl is here, and it features two incredible teams. The Texas Tech Red Raiders take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Tuesday, December 28th.

This game is definitely going to be an entertaining one. The Red Raiders finished 6-6 on the season, while the Mississippi State Bulldogs finished 7-5. Texas Tech comes in as 9.5-point underdogs, searching for an upset.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs might be the favorites, but they've got a lot of competition in front of them. The Red Raiders won't take this on lying down, and the Bulldogs' offense will be put to the test.

Can the Bulldogs and their elite passing offense steal a bowl victory here? Or is there a chance that they're upset by the Red Raiders? More importantly, who should you bet on?

Texas Tech Red Raiders: How can they stop the Bulldogs?

For the Red Raiders, priority number one should be stopping the Bulldogs passing offense. They average 385.7 passing yards per game, ranking third in all of college football. If the Red Raiders want any shot at winning this one, they'll have to shut them down.

They can do this by putting a ton of pressure on the Bulldogs starting QB, Will Rogers. They'll have a little help in that area.

If you guys haven't heard, the No.2 offensive lineman in the country is sitting out of this game. Charles Cross, the offensive tackle for the Bulldogs, is opting out of this bowl game. This means that Texas Tech should have an easier time getting to Will Rogers.

However, the Red Raiders offense will still need to put up points. Something they haven't quite struggled with this year.

Mississippi State Bulldogs: Keys to victory on Tuesday

Losing Charles Cross is tough, but the Bulldogs aren't the type to shy away from challenges. They still have one of the best offensive lines in college football, even without Charles Cross.

However, we aren't worried about the Bulldogs' offense; we're much more worried about their defense. A defense that, on average, allows 25.3 points per game, much more than we'd like.

They'll be taking on the Red Raiders offense who averages 30.0 points per game. For the Bulldogs defense to shut them down, they need to focus on the running game.

The Bulldogs average over 150 rushing yards per game. If the Bulldogs allow that kind of success on the ground, they'll be in trouble on Tuesday. We don't think that'll be a problem, though.

Our Liberty Bowl pick between the Red Raiders and Bulldogs

The Bulldogs come in as heavy favorites, but we actually like these odds. The Red Raiders are coming off of two straight losses, while the Bulldogs won two of their last three.

Mississippi State is 7-5 against the spread this year, giving us a little confidence. They also have a strong rushing defense that only allows 101.42 rushing yards per game.

We know that it might seem like a lot of points, but take the Bulldogs here. They have experience in big games like this and can come through in the clutch. We'll go with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, -9.5, UNDER.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Mississippi State Bulldogs -9.5, UNDER

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