The Ole Miss Rebels take on the Furman Paladins in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Ole Miss enters this Week 1 contest as a -42 favorite on the spread, while the total sits at 60.5.
So, where's the betting value? Let's dive into my Furman vs. Ole Miss prediction for Saturday's Week 1 college football contest below.
Furman vs Ole Miss Prediction
Ole Miss vs. Furman Pick: Under 60.5 (Play Down to 59)
(Bet the under instantly at FanDuel with QuickSlip. Just click here!)
Furman vs Ole Miss Odds
| Furman Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+43 -110 | 60.5 -110 / -110 | N/A |
| Ole Miss Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-43 -110 | 60.5 -110 / -110 | N/A |
- Furman vs Ole Miss Point Spread: Furman +43 (-110) · Ole Miss -43 (-110)
- Furman vs Ole Miss Total: Over/Under 59.5
Furman vs Ole Miss Preview
Furman Betting Preview: How Will New QB Respond?
Despite being an FCS opponent, Furman is no cakewalk. Last year, Furman was also able to post double-digit wins and won the SoCon.
There will be a new face under center for the Paladins this year. Furman's website lists three candidates to start: Carson Jones, Trey Hedden and Nehuel Garcia.
Jones is considered the favorite to win the job and filled in admirably for an injured Tyler Huff in the final game of the 2023 regular season — amassing 139 yards passing and two touchdowns, along with a game-winning pass in the final two minutes.
Even though Jones looks the part, you never know how a player will react to his first career start, and Ole Miss isn't an easy opponent to get your feet wet against.
The Paladins' top running back and top four offensive linemen in terms of snap counts from last year are also gone. This game will be an uphill battle.
The one reason for optimism is that Furman was good at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season. On the season, Furman collected 38 sacks. If it can replicate that effort against Ole Miss, it could cause cause some problems for the Rebels' new-look line.
The Furman secondary has vanished. The Paladins have lost their top three safeties and top three cornerbacks from last season. If they can't get pressure on Jaxson Dart, he'll likely have a field day.
Ole Miss Betting Preview: Expectations High in Oxford
Coming off the first 11-win season in program history, Lane Kiffin's Rebels are looking for something more this year.
Most of the offensive stars are back, including star quarterback Dart, tight end Caden Prieskorn and wideout Tre Harris. PFF graded all three as top-10 players at their position in all of college football last season.
But it's not just returning talent that gives fans reason for optimism. The Ole Miss program was one of the biggest transfer portal winners this spring.
A new-look defense features edge rusher Princely Umanmielen from Florida and lineman Walter Nolen from Texas A&M. Also, Juice Wells transferred in from South Carolina to help the receiving corps.
Kiffin has plenty of stars to turn to on both sides of the ball. And this year, the pressure is on. Many pundits have picked Ole Miss to make the 12-team playoff.
The only big cause for concern is an issue that plagued the Rebels last year — their offensive line. Last year's offensive line ranked just 105th in PFF grade and all four new additions from the portal posted sub-65.0 PFF grades last year.
The Rebels are extremely vulnerable to teams that can get consistent pressure on Dart.
Kiffin has addressed the fact that the receiver room may be shorthanded in this game.
"We've got a lot of receiver injuries going into this first game, so the ability to run the ball is going to be very important," Kiffin said.
That could be some gamesmanship from Kiffin, or it could be a sign that they are going to take things easy through the air and focus on the rushing attack.
Furman vs Ole Miss Pick & Prediction
Given the health of Ole Miss' receivers, it makes sense to take Kiffin's words of caution at face value. Ole Miss will have no trouble building an early lead, but the biggest goal of the game should be escaping with full health.
The one vulnerability Ole Miss has is pass protection, and it knows it's something Furman can exploit.
Expect Ole Miss to run the ball more than usual given these developments.
On the other end, Furman will struggle to score from start to finish.
The under is the play, down to 59 points.
Pick: Under 60.5 (Play to 59) |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
How to Watch Furman vs Ole Miss Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Vaught Hemingway Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Aug. 31 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | SEC Network+ |
