Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State Odds
| Texas Tech Odds | +9.5 |
| Miss. State Odds | -9.5 |
| Over/Under | 60.5 |
| Date | Dec. 28 |
| Location | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee |
Texas Tech is set to take on Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Find our expert's projected odds, a recap of each team's seasons, plus more information on the Liberty Bowl below.
Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State Projected Odds
| Texas Tech Spread | -8 |
| Mississippi State Spread | +8 |
| Over/Under | 56.4 |
These Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State projections are based on Collin Wilson's college football power ratings, which help power our PRO Projections — they compare all of his projections to real-time college football odds in order to easily identify betting edges.
How Texas Tech Reached the Liberty Bowl
The Red Raiders ended the year with four losses in their last five games, although losing to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor is something most of the Big 12 did this season. But now Texas Tech must pick itself back up for a bowl game knowing head coach Sonny Cumbie is out the door, having already accepted the Louisiana Tech head coaching job. Cumbie will coach the bowl game, but will replace Skip Holtz afterwards.
Texas Tech exceeded the betting market’s expectations with a 6-6 record, hitting the over on 4.5 wins. This despite circling through three starting quarterbacks, including Oregon transfer Tyler Shough and most recently freshman Donovan Smith.
How Mississippi State Reached the Liberty Bowl
A 7-5 season doesn’t always look pretty on paper, but Mike Leach’s club outperformed expectations in 2021.
The Bulldogs, coming off a 4-7 campaign in Leach’s first season in Starkville, surpassed their win total of 5.5 — not too shabby, especially in the top conference in football.
Mississippi State was one of the best-kept secrets later in the year, covering five of its final six.
Overall, the Bulldogs pulled off three upsets in 2021, including wins over Texas A&M and Auburn.
Leach’s air-raid scheme was on full display yet again, as the offense led the nation in pass rate (74.4%).
Quarterback Will Rogers’ 4,449 passing yards were second in the country, behind only Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe.
Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Texas Tech and Mississippi State match up statistically:
Texas Tech Offense vs. Mississippi State Defense
 |  Offense |  Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 64 | 36 | |
| Line Yards | 66 | 25 | |
| Pass Success | 34 | 47 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 59 | 87 | |
| Big Play | 72 | 15 | |
| Havoc | 74 | 87 | |
| Finishing Drives | 18 | 86 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Mississippi State Offense vs. Texas Tech Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 103 | 73 | |
| Line Yards | 60 | 68 | |
| Pass Success | 5 | 112 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 4 | 38 | |
| Big Play | 87 | 74 | |
| Havoc | 7 | 97 | |
| Finishing Drives | 43 | 126 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 95 | 47 |
| Coverage | 102 | 41 |
| Middle 8 | 74 | 46 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 5 | 124 |
| Plays per Minute | 70 | 100 |
| Rush Rate | 52.1% (86) | 27.7% (130) |
Liberty Bowl Date, Time, TV, More Info
- Date: Dec. 28
- Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee
- TV Info: ESPN
The Liberty Bowl is still chugging along, debuting back in 1959 when Penn State beat Alabama by a touchdown.
Due to the longevity of the bowl, multiple programs from a plethora of conferences have received invites over the years — even the winner of the Navy-Air Force series for a short while.
Notable MVPs of the Liberty Bowl include Latavius Murray, Dak Prescott, Alex Collins and Allen Lazard.
Each of the last two matchups featured a service academy versus a Big 12 affiliate.
