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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Pitt-Mississippi State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Pitt-Mississippi State.
The ACC-SEC Challenge hasn't turned out to be much of a challenge for the SEC, which won every game but one on Tuesday. However, these college basketball teams can't really spend time digesting Tuesday's results. They have to create their own favorable outcome on Wednesday, and it won't be easy.
This is a really good matchup on paper, one of the most interesting games to consider on Wednesday's slate of college hoops. Pitt and MSU have lost just one time apiece. Pitt fell to Wisconsin. Mississippi State lost its most recent game to Butler. Otherwise, these teams have done well this season, winning games against power conference opponents. Pitt has been able to demolish a good West Virginia team, handle LSU, and defeat Ohio State on the road last Friday. That Ohio State win was a one-point overtime win in which Pitt trailed by four with under 20 seconds left in the overtime period. The Panthers hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to walk it off and stun the Buckeyes. Pitt trailed for most of that game but was consistently able to fight back after OSU made a run. That kind of “never say die” victory should infuse this team with a lot of confidence as it heads to Starkville to face a solid Mississippi State team.
Mississippi State did lose to Butler in a game which went sideways, particularly on defense. The Bulldogs allowed 87 points and were simply caught off guard on defense. However, before that clunker, Mississippi State had been stacking wins against major conference opposition. The Bulldogs beat Utah of the Big 12, SMU of the ACC, and also UNLV of the Mountain West. It's notable and impressive that both Pitt and Mississippi State have collected multiple wins against non-cupcake opponents. Not every college basketball team can say that in this first week of December.
Here are the Pitt-Mississippi State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Pitt-Mississippi State Odds
Pitt: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +184
Mississippi State: -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -225
Over: 149.5 (-106)
Under: 149.5 (-114)
How to Watch Pitt vs Mississippi State
Time: 9:15 p.m. ET / 6:15 p.m. PT
TV: SEC Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Pitt Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Panthers just did win on the road at Ohio State. If you think Ohio State is roughly comparable to Mississippi State, you should be running to bet the Panthers at this point spread. Mississippi State is a decent team, but it is not noticeably better than — or different from — Ohio State. Pitt beat OSU, so the Panthers should at least be able to stay close against MSU.
Why Mississippi State Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Bulldogs had a clunker against Butler, which might seem like a reason to bet against them, but MSU had been playing good ball before it stumbled against Butler. Chances are the Bulldogs will regroup here and play a lot better. They are at home, too. That should help them.
Also keep in mind that while Pitt did beat Ohio State, the Panthers trailed for large portions of that game and mounted what was frankly an improbable late rally. If Pitt plays this game the way it played most of the Ohio State game, it will not cover the spread.
Final Pitt-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to Pitt, but we're not going to trust the ACC after seeing the SEC dismantle the conference on Tuesday. Maybe wait for an in-game bet here.
Final Pitt-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick: Pitt +5.5
