Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Tennessee Volunteers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/15/2024

Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Friday, March 15, 2024

Venue:  Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN 

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  MS State +10, Tennessee -10; Over/Under:  141 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  MS State +10, Tennessee -10; Over/Under:  141 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  MS State +10.5, Tennessee -10.5; Over/Under:  141.5 points

Mississippi State Bulldogs:  19-12 (8-10) (9th place, SEC)

Tennessee Volunteers:  24-7 (14-4) (1st place, SEC)

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Mississippi State Bulldogs:  1-4  last 5

Tennessee Volunteers:  4-1  last 5

Mississippi State is entering this game with a 20-12 record overall, an 8-10 record in conference games, and they are 7-0 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the LSU Tigers in their last game. Josh Hubbard led the team in points per game in that game with 24 while Dashawn Davis was next on the team with 12. Cameron Matthews and Tolu Smith III each led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Tolu Smith III led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 41.8% from the field, 28.6% from 3-point range, and 66.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 75.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 69.6 PPG against them. Mississippi State has an ATS record of 15-16-1 this season and their O/U record is 16-16.

Tennessee is entering this game with a 24-7 record overall, a 14-4 conference record, and they are 2-2 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Kentucky Wildcats in their last game. Dalton Knecht led the team in points in that game with 40 while Zakai Zeigler was next on the team with 17. Zakai Zeigler led the team in assists with 9 in that game while Josiah-Jordan James led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 37.8% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 68.4% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 80.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.7 PPG against them. Tennessee has an ATS record of 16-14-1 this season and their O/U record is 16-15.

The current betting odds have Tennessee listed as a 10 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Tennessee has looked really good in their games this season with their 24-7 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country and also ranked as one of the best in the nation. They have looked great in the SEC this year with their 14-4 conference record which leads the way and they have looked great in their games lately too. Meanwhile, Mississippi State hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 20-12 record overall and their 8-10 conference record. Mississippi State has been really good in their games at neutral sites as they are 7-0 in those games while Tennessee is only 2-2, but Tennessee has been a lot more consistent this season since Mississippi State has been struggling a lot more against SEC opponents. Mississippi State also struggled to beat LSU in the last round of this SEC Tournament and that is their only win in their last 5 games, going 1-4 in their last 5. Tennessee has been the much hotter team lately with their 4-1 record in their last 5 games and they are also coming off a loss to Kentucky in their last game of the regular season so Tennessee will be looking to bounce back with some style points here since they are still being considered for a number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The best way to place a bet here is on Tennessee to cover the spread in this game. 

Mississippi State Tennessee Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Friday, March 15, 2024 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Tennessee 74 Mississippi State 57.

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Mississippi State Bulldogs: 10-18 ATS as an underdog. 6-11 ATS against conference opponents. 12-7 UNDER in all neutral court games. 22-10 UNDER in a neutral court game where the total is 140 to 149.5. 9-4 UNDER in all tournament games.

Tennessee Volunteers: 26-16 ATS off an upset loss to a conference rival as a home favorite. 27-17 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread. 7-0 ATS after allowing 80 points or more. 11-4 UNDER as a favorite of 10 or more points. 47-25 UNDER after a combined score of 165 points or more.

Mississippi State Bulldogs:  A. Taylor (G) Out indefinitely - Personal.

Tennessee Volunteers:  None.

"We were struggling [in the first half]. We had seven baskets [and] seven turnovers. That's not a good recipe to win games. I think the response [after halftime] had everyone that was rooting for the Maroon and White feel much better…We kind of took a deep breath and said, 'Let's play.' Then we settled in." - Chris Jans after his team’s win against LSU in their last game on Thursday.

“(Reeves) is a high-level scorer. He does a good job getting in the right position. He's surrounded by guys who can play. They were able to get the angles on us.” - Rick Barnes after his team’s loss against Kentucky in their last game of the regular season on Saturday.

J. Bell 

D. Davis

T. Fort 

D. Jeffries 

C. Matthews

J. Aidoo 

J. James 

D. Knecht 

S. Vescovi 

Z. Zeigler

PPG: J. Hubbard (16.8)

APG: C. Matthews (2.9)

Reb/G: T. Smith (8.2)

PPG: D. Knecht (21.4)

APG: Z. Zeigler (6)

Reb/G: J. Aidoo (7.6)

Coaches:

Mississippi State Bulldogs: Chris Jans (2nd season)

Tennessee Volunteers: Rick Barnes (9th season)