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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ole Miss-Mississippi State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Ole Miss-Mississippi State.
In the ferocious and cutthroat SEC, these two teams are likely to be part of a double-digit number of teams in the NCAA Tournament. The SEC is that good, that tough, that deep. Ole Miss certainly looks like an NCAA Tournament team right now. The Rebels just defeated Alabama on the road, something few other teams are likely to be able to match this season. Ole Miss played solid defense against an Alabama team which could not solve the Rebels' energy and grit in halfcourt situations. Alabama also wasn't able to get enough baskets in transition to compensate for what Ole Miss was able to do with its halfcourt defense. Chris Beard knows how to teach defense, and it seems his Rebels are very much in a defensive groove right now. It is easy and natural to identify when teams are in a groove on offense, but teams can be in a defensive rhythm as well. Ole Miss is in that happy place at the defensive end of the floor, and it really shows.
Mississippi State is solidly in the NCAA Tournament right now — maybe not a lock, but certainly in a very good position. Some people might wonder about this, given that MSU just got defeated by both Kentucky and Auburn in succession. That's the whole point of the 2025 SEC in men's college basketball, though: A lot of really good teams are going to lose two or three games in a row in a league this rough. Kentucky is likely to be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and Auburn is likely to be a No. 1 seed. Mississippi State isn't showing that it is a uniquely flawed or bad team by losing consecutive games to those two specific opponents. It merely shows this league is a dogfight every night, and losses are going to stack up to some degree. Naturally, Mississippi State can't allow two straight losses to become five straight. The same goes for other teams in the conference. However, two-game losing skids are going to happen a lot in this league — to good teams, not just mediocre ones. This is a fact of life MSU and other SEC teams have to accept. The key is to not let one bad week become three bad weeks. That's what we are seeing with Arkansas and Oklahoma, two SEC teams in real trouble entering the second half of January.
Here are the Ole Miss-Mississippi State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Ole Miss-Mississippi State Odds
Ole Miss: +5.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +190
Mississippi State: +3.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -235
Over: 145.5 (-115)
Under: 145.5 (-105)
How to Watch Ole Miss vs Mississippi State
Time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Article Continues Below
TV: ESPN2
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Ole Miss Will Cover The Spread/Win
Ole Miss just hammered Alabama on the road, and yet the Rebels are getting — not giving — nearly six whole points against an MSU team which just got boatraced by Auburn and gave up a ton of points to Kentucky? Surely this spread seems a little too generous to Mississippi State.
Why Mississippi State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Mississippi State lost to a pair of really good teams. The 5.5-point spread feels like a trap until you realize this is a good team which is bound to bounce back. MSU playing well likely translates into a solid eight-point win.
Final Ole Miss-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick
Our lean is definitely to Ole Miss, but we realize MSU could straighten things out here. Maybe wait for a live play. Ole Miss plus the points does feel like a trap. Getting Ole Miss at plus-9.5 after an early Mississippi State run might be the best possible scenario.
Final Ole Miss-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick: Ole Miss +5.5
