The Mississippi State Bulldogs take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Mississippi State Alabama prediction and pick. Find how to watch Mississippi State Alabama.
The Alabama Crimson Tide absorbed several losses in nonconference play. They were not picked to finish in the top three of the SEC standings before the season began. This was supposed to be a year in which the Crimson Tide took several steps back from last season, in which Bama earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and won the SEC title. As it turns out, Bama has taken a few steps back, but not as many as most people expected. November and December were rough as predicted, but January provided a much smoother ride for the Tide than most were projecting. Alabama enters February 7-1 in the SEC. The Tide's only loss was a road game at Tennessee. They have handled their business otherwise. They beat Auburn at home. More recently, they came back from a big second-half deficit to beat Georgia on the road in Athens. Nate Oats is getting his Alabama players to mesh at both ends of the floor. Alabama is doing a better job of answering opponents' runs and not shriveling in the face of adversity, compared to the first few weeks of the season. This team is growing a spine, and it has Alabama in position to contend for an unexpected SEC championship. Given that title contenders Tennessee and Kentucky will play each other on Saturday night at the same time Bama plays Mississippi State, a Crimson Tide win would guarantee that Bama will gain a game on either the Vols or Wildcats. This game is an opportunity for Alabama to improve its overall SEC championship positioning and odds.
Here are the Mississippi State-Alabama College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Mississippi State-Alabama Odds
Mississippi State Bulldogs: +8.5 (-115)
Alabama Crimson Tide: -8.5 (-105)
Over: 155.5 (-115)
Under: 155.5 (-105)
How To Watch Mississippi State vs Alabama
Time: 8:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm PT
TV: SEC Network
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Mississippi State Could Cover the Spread
Mississippi State is 3-5 in the SEC, but the Bulldogs have been robustly competitive in the conference. They did recently beat Auburn. They barely lost in their most recent game at Ole Miss, which is not a point of shame given that Ole Miss is unbeaten at home this season and is going to be an NCAA Tournament team. The obvious point to keep in mind about betting on MSU to cover the spread is that the Bulldogs don't have to actually win the game outright to cover. They can lose by eight points and still cover here in Tuscaloosa versus the Crimson Tide. Mississippi State is very much in contention for an NCAA Tournament berth. The importance of the game should lead the Bulldogs to put forth a strong performance which enables them to stay close enough to cover.
Why Alabama Could Cover the Spread
The Crimson Tide, at 7-1 in the SEC, have overachieved over the past month. They have played better than many experts expected. They have been very strong at home, unbeaten at Coleman Coliseum in SEC play. Alabama has usually won home games by wide margins, pulling away late and wearing down opponents after 30 minutes. Mississippi State has not been strong enough to suggest that it will be able to withstand 40 full minutes of Alabama's energy and pace.
Final Mississippi State-Alabama Prediction & Pick
Mississippi State could cover, but Alabama has been too good at home to merit complete trust in the Bulldogs. Stay away from this game and wait for a live-betting opportunity.
Final Mississippi State-Alabama Prediction & Pick: Mississippi State +8.5
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