The Missouri Tigers host the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 3:30 p.m. EST in Columbia, Missouri.
The Tigers are listed as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at O/U 149.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.
Missouri vs. Mississippi State prediction, preview
Missouri is trying to break out of the middle of the pack and cement itself as a contender for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Tigers are 14-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play. In order to get to March though, the Tigers need to beat the teams that they should beat, like this game against Mississippi State. Following this game, Missouri has a full week off before another easy matchup against South Carolina. If the Tigers can be 6-4 in conference play headed down the final stretch of the season, they have a real chance to make it into the Big Dance. However, they need to be more consistent on the defensive end of the floor. Losses to subpar teams like LSU and Ole Miss are holding them back from being where they should be in the conference.
Mississippi State has a 3-5 conference record this season. The Bulldogs struggled in non-conference play and have not improved their fortunes much in the SEC. They just picked up a win over LSU that broke a five-game losing streak. The Bulldogs are led by junior guard Josh Hubbard. Hubbard is averaging 20.7 points per game, ranking 17th in the nation in scoring. However, the Bulldogs struggle to find ways to score when Hubbard isn’t making it happen on his own. Despite having such a strong scorer leading the team, Mississippi State ranks 118th in the nation in offensive rating.
Missouri vs. Mississippi State pick
My best bet for this game is for Missouri to cover as 6.5-point favorites at home. When playing in Columbia, the Tigers have been fantastic. Missouri holds a 12-1 home record, including nice wins over Auburn and Florida.
Mississippi State’s best chance is getting out in space and letting Josh Hubbard create. If stuck in the halfcourt, the Bulldogs struggle to score. Missouri ranks 238th in the nation in adjusted tempo and will likely dictate the pace of this game. The Tigers will slow the speed down and see who can run a better offense in a halfcourt setting. The better team in that regard should be the Tigers, especially with their home crowd at their backs.
On the Bulldogs’ recent five-game losing streak, they lost four of those five games by double digits. Missouri has a chance to dominate and run away with this game, especially with its opponent in poor form.
