The Mississippi State Bulldogs will look to continue their high level of play when they host in-state rival Mississippi on Tuesday night. Mississippi State is in fourth place in the loaded SEC while Ole Miss is one spot out of last place.
With the Rebels desperate for a win and the Bulldogs looking for consecutive wins in this rivalry, let’s find out where the best online betting value lies in this affair.
Mississippi (6-6) at Mississippi State (9-5)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021 at 9:00 PM ET
Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, MS
TV: SECN
NCAAB Odds: OFF
Total: OFF
There’s Nothing Rebellious About Ole Miss!
Ole Miss has lost three straight and five of its last six games overall including a narrow 78-74 home loss against Georgia on Saturday. The Rebels got 24 points from Devontae Shuler and 22 points from Jarkel Joiner but allowed Georgia to shoot an insane 75.0 percent from the field in the second half and a blistering 58.7 percent for the entire game.
Mississippi is averaging 71.8 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 29.9 percent shooting from three-point distance. The Rebels are limiting the opposition to 63.9 points per game on 41.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Check out our college basketball NCAA Tournament power rankings!
Mississippi State Seeking Another Eye-Opening Win!
Mississippi State has won three of its last four games including an impressive 72-69 home win over Florida on Saturday. 6-10 freshman forward Tolu Smith scored a career-high 27 points and added 14 rebounds to lead the way to victory while shooting a stellar 11 for 13 from the field. Iverson Molinar added 13 points in the win while DJ Stewart chipped in 11 points.
The Bulldogs are averaging 73.5 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting from the field and 37.7 percent from three-point distance. Mississippi State is allowing 66.3 points per game on 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Expert Analysis and Prediction
Mississippi State’s last three victories have come against Florida, Vanderbilt and No. 19 Missouri. The Bulldogs also beat the same Georgia team that Ole Miss just lost to by 10 points on Dec. 30.
Mississippi State has won two of the last three meetings in this rivalry including an emphatic 69-44 blowout win at home in March. While Ole Miss has gone an uninspiring 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games following an SU loss and 1-5 ATS in its last six games overall, the home team in this long standing SEC rivalry is a blistering 14-6 ATS in the last 20 meetings.
While Ole Miss actually has the better statistical defense, the Rebels don’t have very many elite players. Conversely, Mississippi State’s Tolu Smith is clearly a future NBA performer that should be the best player on the floor in this matchup.
I’m going with the Bulldogs to get it done at home, but Ole Miss keeps the final score inside a half-dozen points!
Pick: Mississippi State 76 Ole Miss 70
If you want to learn more about how to bet on sports online, we’ve got you covered. In addition to that, you can read our latest sportsbook reviews before making all of your college basketball bets in our bettor-friendly online sportsbook.
