Mississippi State and Ole Miss will face off in the annual Egg Bowl matchup on Thursday night, and the game is projected to be quite close.

According to SI Sportsbook, the Rebels are currently 2.5-point favorites over the Bulldogs, with the over/under on the game set at 59 points. Ole Miss handled business in front of its home crowd in 2020 with a 31-24 victory, then knocked off MSU on the road with a 10-point win last year. Despite Ole Miss' recent success, the two programs have split the series at six wins apiece since 2010.

MSU is entering the game coming off a 56-7 victory against East Tennessee State. The Bulldogs are 7-4 overall with a 3-4 record in conference play in head coach Mike Leach's third season with the program. They are looking to pick up eight wins for the first time since 2018 and boost their resume ahead of postseason competition. Quarterback Will Rogers leads the SEC with 3,474 yards and 32 passing touchdowns, and Mississippi State's defense has been stalwart against tough rushing offenses throughout the year.

Ole Miss has a 4-3 record in conference play and sits at 8-3 overall under coach Lane Kiffin. The Rebels fell to Arkansas in lopsided fashion in Fayetteville last weekend, but they will be entering the game looking to prove themselves. Their tough defense has totaled 837 tackles to lead the SEC, and they boast one of the top running backs groups in the country that features freshman phenom Quinshon Judkins and TCU transfer Zach Evans.

As proven in the past, anything can happen in the Egg Bowl. Heavy rain is expected throughout the day on Thursday, meaning that executing without any big mistakes will be nearly impossible and both teams will likely have to modify their game plans. Betting lines have changed some since opening early in the week and will likely shift again as kickoff quickly approaches.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss will compete on the gridiron once again beginning at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday in Oxford.