The Liberty Flames are set to face the Ole Miss Rebels this weekend. Check out our college football odds series, which includes our Liberty-Ole Miss prediction, odds, and pick.

This game marks the return of Hugh Freeze to Oxford, where he led Ole Miss to multiple New Year's Six bowl appearances and multiple wins over Nick Saban and Alabama. Ole Miss frustrated Saban with its aggressive offensive approach. The Rebels won the Sugar Bowl in the 2015 college football season, beating Oklahoma State. Freeze knows his way around a chalkboard. He can X-and-O with the best of them. However, he also ran a wayward program and ran into NCAA recruiting violations as well as other embarrassing off-field scandals which pushed him out the door. Liberty, no stranger to controversy as an institution in its own right, picked up Freeze and has succeeded on the field.

Last year, Liberty went 10-1, beating No. 9 Coastal Carolina in a wild Cure Bowl game to ruin the Chanticleers' bid for an unbeaten season. Liberty quarterback Malik Willis rewrote the school's football record book while establishing national records as well. Freeze, say whatever else you want to say about him, can coach. Now he goes up against Lane Kiffin, who has made Ole Miss football extremely entertaining, much as Freeze did several years ago.

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the Liberty-Ole Miss odds:

College Football odds: Liberty-Ole Miss Odds

Liberty: +8.5 (-110)

Ole Miss: -8.5 (-110)

Over: 66.5 (-110)

Under: 66.5 (-110)

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Why Liberty Could Cover the Spread

The Flames could benefit from the wear and tear Ole Miss has endured. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral has been injured in separate games this season. The pounding he has taken from SEC defenses has taken its toll, and that is part of the calculus when making a Liberty Ole Miss pick.

Ole Miss just got outworked by Auburn, on a day when the Tigers were coming off an idle week and were physically fresher. Corral got hurt, and the Rebels' offense simply wasn't in a position to play at its best. Kiffin — as is his habit — went for a few fourth downs in this game against Auburn instead of kicking field goals. Many will say that Ole Miss should have kicked the field goals to stay closer (the Rebels lost, 31-20), but the broader point is that Ole Miss ran out of gas in the second half against a fresher opponent. Ole Miss scored just three points after halftime. Liberty is playing a tired team which is feeling the strain of a long season. That's part of why the Flames are not huge underdogs (not double-digits, at least) in the Liberty Ole Miss odds.

Why Ole Miss Could Cover the Spread

The Rebels are a tired team, and they are ripe for a letdown in this game. However, what will save them is that Liberty has not been nearly as good as expected this season. Liberty lost earlier this year as a 33-point favorite against Louisiana-Monroe. The Flames' offense under Malik Willis has not been nearly as dynamic or as consistent as last season. Living up to preseason hype and withstanding summer scrutiny have not been easy for a program which has had to take everyone's best shot. That's part of why Liberty is an eight-point dog and not a three- or four-point underdog. Ponder that in your Liberty Ole Miss prediction.

The other obvious point to make is that Liberty isn't nearly as physically imposing as the SEC teams which have punched Ole Miss in the teeth. Ole Miss can actually establish its running game. With Corral hurt, the Rebels can still hand the ball off to their running backs and move the ball without too much help from the quarterback spot. Ole Miss could not beat Auburn with the running game, but it can beat Liberty that way.

Final Liberty-Ole Miss Prediction & Pick

Tired teams, tired defenses, a spot where an emotional letdown could occur — these ingredients point to a game in which a lot of points are scored. The point-spread piece of this game is tricky. The game featuring at least 70 points seems like a safer call.

Final Liberty-Ole Miss Pick: Over 66.5