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The Kentucky Wildcats take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Our college basketball odds series has our Kentucky Mississippi State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Kentucky Mississippi State.
The SEC basketball season has been a journey filled with all sorts of unexpected twists. One is that Mississippi State and Kentucky are on very even footing in the bubble race for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. Who would have imagined that a month ago? Mississippi State was 1-7 in the SEC and cratering as a team. The Bulldogs seemed to have been exposed as a fraudulent team after winning their first 10 games of the season but then getting knocked around in conference play. Yet, what have we seen over the past month? MSU beat TCU in the Big 12-SEC Challenge and has then beaten Missouri and Arkansas, two NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, as part of a five-game overall winning streak and a four-game SEC winning streak. Mississippi State is 17-8, now 5-7 in the SEC. The Bulldogs have played their way close to the cut line for the NCAA Tournament, which lifts them up to Kentucky's position, which is also right on the cut line. Kentucky has fallen to the middle of the bubble after losing at home to Arkansas and then losing at Georgia this past weekend. Remember, Kentucky has already lost at home to South Carolina and didn't grab a single big win in nonconference play. UK's tournament resume is legitimately weak, making this a big game.
Here are the Kentucky-Mississippi State college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: Kentucky-Mississippi State Odds
Kentucky Wildcats: +2.5 (-102)
Mississippi State Bulldogs: -2.5 (-120)
Over: 128.5 (-110)
Under: 128.5 (-110)
How To Watch Kentucky vs. Mississippi State
TV: SEC Network
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT
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*Watch Kentucky-Mississippi State LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Kentucky Could Cover The Spread
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are winning games, but let's note that TCU was missing key players when the Bulldogs beat the Horned Frogs. Missouri just got blown out by Auburn and is playing noticeably bad basketball these days. The Arkansas team MSU just defeated was re-integrating injured star Nick Smith back into its lineup, a transition which is going to lead to some inconsistencies for the Hogs. MSU is playing well, but it keeps facing teams in uniquely disadvantaged situations. Kentucky knows it needs this game to make the NCAA Tournament. You will see an urgent and improved effort from the Wildcats.
Why Mississippi State Could Cover The Spread
If the Bulldogs can beat Missouri, Arkansas and TCU over the past three weeks, they can certainly handle Kentucky. The not-so-secret reality connected to Kentucky's season and the Wildcats' struggles is that UK big man Oscar Tshiebwe, the 2022 National Player of the Year, is not playing nearly as well this season. He was dismantled in a head-to-head meeting with Florida big man Colin Castleton. He struggled against Arkansas as well. He is simply not the force he was last season, and since Kentucky doesn't have a strong, high-level point guard who can knit together the team's halfcourt offense, the Wildcats are lost on offense.
The fact that Mississippi State is playing its best basketball of the SEC season should also lend itself to an MSU pick.
Final Kentucky-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick
Mississippi State is playing better, but Kentucky really needs this game. You should stay away from it. Neither team is easy to predict right now.
Final Kentucky-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick: Kentucky +2.5
