The SEC-ACC challenge continues tonight with an intriguing matchup in Oxford. Ole Miss, following its best season in years, has suffered two straight losses. Now, the Rebels will get a chance to bounce back against a quality opponent on Tuesday. Miami, 6-2, has its eyes set on a return to the NCAA Tournament under new head coach Jai Lucas.
Ole Miss enters this contest as 2.5-point favorites (-112) over Miami. The total is set at 144.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for Tuesday’s game between the Hurricanes and the Rebels.
Miami vs. Ole Miss prediction, preview
Following last season’s Sweet 16 appearance, Ole Miss is now fielding a much different roster. Among the major contributors for this year’s squad, only Malik Dia has returned. Still, head coach Chris Beard’s roster has plenty of exciting new additions. Guard Ilias Kamardine currently leads the team in scoring (15.1 PPG) and assists (4.7 AST). Back court mate AJ Storr, playing for his fourth school in four years, isn’t far behind with 14.9 points per game.
The biggest issue for the Rebels has been on the other side of the ball, where they rank 151st in defensive rating (101.2). Among the 16 schools that make up the SEC, Mississippi ranks 14th with 37.6 rebounds per game. That’s partially due to its pace of play (66.9), slowest in the conference. A grind-it-out game plan limits scoring for both sides, which often lends itself to single-digit contests. Ole Miss dropped its previous two games vs. Iowa and Utah by a combined six points.
Following a dismal seven-win 2024-25 campaign, the Hurricanes have bounced back. This revamped Miami roster has gotten terrific production from leading scorer Malik Reneau. The Indiana transfer is averaging 20.8 points on 56% shooting, supported by guards Tre Donaldson (15.8 PPG) and Tru Washington (13.7 PPG). Those three, along with forward Shelton Henderson, make up almost all of The U’s offensive output.
The Canes will only go as far as their scoring takes them. However, this is a fairly well-balanced group. Miami ranks inside the nation’s top 60 programs in offensive rating (119.7) and defensive rating (90.3). Per KenPom, the school is 27th in defensive efficiency. However, the site also ranks Miami’s strength of schedule at 272nd in all of college basketball. The Hurricanes have lost by ten points to their only Power 4 opponents this year, BYU and Florida. However, they did earn a 13-point win last week over Georgetown.
Miami vs. Ole Miss pick, best bet
It’s difficult to get a read on either the Rebels or Hurricanes given their lackluster out of conference schedules. However, they are ranked 43rd and 46th respectively on KenPom; this is a fairly even matchup on paper. Lucas has impressed during his first few weeks at Miami. However, a true road game against a battle-tested Ole Miss squad presents a major challenge. In front of what should be a raucous crowd, I’ll back Mississippi at home.
