Picks, predictions for Drake vs. No. 15 Mississippi State on Tuesday, December 20

The No. 15 Mississippi State Bulldogs will travel to Iowa to face the Drake Bulldogs on Tuesday, Dec. 20, before conference play begins next week. The game is set for 5:00 p.m. ET.

Let’s take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Drake vs. Mississippi State odds

Spread: Mississippi State -5.5
Over/Under: 130.5
Moneyline: Mississippi State -210, Drake +180

No. 15 Mississippi State sits atop the SEC right now with an 11-0 record. Wins over Marquette and Utah are their best claims to date. Their strengths and weaknesses are pretty clear — they rank second in the country in offensive rebounding, they only shoot 30% from the 3-point line, and senior forward Tolu Smith is leading the team with 16.2 points per game. Opposing teams certainly have their work cut out for them with this Bulldogs team, but they haven’t lost yet, largely thanks to their impressive defense.

Drake, which got a March Madness bid two seasons ago for the first time since 2008, enter this matchup at 8-3 after a two-loss streak against Richmond and Saint Louis. Tucker Devries leads them in scoring with 18.8 points per game, and Darnell Brodie has grabbed over seven rebounds per game. However, this MSU teams is by far the best defense that Drake has faced, and with the southernmost Bulldogs’ high rate of forcing turnovers and steals, this is going to be a tough matchup for the Iowans.

The Pick Mississippi State -5.5, -110

The way I see it, Drake will not have an answer to Mississippi State’s very complete defense. The SEC Bulldogs have allowed just 52.1 points per game, and their rebounding on both sides of the court has been unbeatable. MSU should be able to cover this spread ahead of the holiday break.