South Carolina looks to get the two seed in the SEC tournament as they face Mississippi State. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a South Carolina-Mississippi State prediction, pick, and how to watch.
South Carolina comes into the game sitting at 24-6 on the year, while also sitting 12-5 in conference play. that places them in a four-way tie for second in the conference with Auburn, Kentucky, and Alabama. They have won three of their last four, but coming off a loss. Last time out, South Carolina faced Tennessee. It was a close game, but Tennessee would pull away late, winning 66-59 and giving Tennessee the regular season SEC title.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State comes into the game at 19-11 on the year, while sitting 8-9 in conference play. They are in a three-way tie for seven in the conference win against Texas A&M and LSU. They have lost their last three games though. First, it was a two-point loss to Kentucky at home. Then, they would fall on the road by 15 to Auburn and then by six on the road to Texas A&M. This will be the second time these two have faced off, as South Carolina took the first game at home 68-62.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: South Carolina-Mississippi State Odds
South Carolina: +3.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +150
Mississippi State: -3.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -182
Over: 133.5 (-110)
Under: 133.5 (-110)
How to Watch South Carolina vs. Mississippi State
Time: 2:30 PM ET/ 11:30 AM PT
TV: SEC Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why South Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
South Carolina comes in ranked 47th in the nation in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 55th in adjusted offense efficiency while sitting 40th in adjusted defensive efficiency. South Carolina is 208th in the nation in points per game this year, while sitting 159th in effective field goal percentage. Still, they move the ball well, sitting 45th in assists per game and 29th is assist to assist-to-turnover ratio. Meechie Johnson comes in leading the team in points per game this year. He comes in with 14.3 points per game this year. Johnson also has 3.0 assists per game this year. Meanwhile, B.J. Mack comes in with 13.1 points per game. Ta'Lon Cooper comes in leading the team in assists this year with 4.3 per game. He is also shooting 47.7 percent from the field and has 9.8 points per game.
South Carolina is 115th in rebounds per game this year. They are 86th in defensive rebound percentage this year. Collin Murray-Boyles leads the way here, coming in with 5.6 rebounds per game, while also adding 10.0 points per game this year. Meanwhile, BJ Mack, Ta'Lon Cooper, and Meechie Johnson all have over four rebounds per game this year. Murray-Boyles is the best on the offensive glass though, with over two offensive rebounds per game.
South Carolina is 19th in opponent points per game this year while sitting 33rd in opponent effective field goal percentage. Meechie Johnson leads the team with 1.0 steals per game, while Murray-Boyles leads with .7 blocks per game this year. While South Carolina does not have a lot of steals, with just 4.8 per game this year, they also do not turn over the ball much. With just 10.2 turnovers per game, South Carolina ranks 48th in the nation.
Why Mississippi State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Mississippi State ranks 33rd in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 66th in adjusted offense efficiency while sitting 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency on the year. They are 119th in the nation in points per game, while sitting 128th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. Tolu Smith has led the team on offense since coming back to the lineup. He comes in with 16.4 points per game this year, while he is shooting 59.4 percent this year. Josh Hubbard is tied for the team lead in points per game this year, coming in with 16.4 points per contest as well. Further, Cameron Matthews comes in with 9.3 points per game while also shooting 63.6 percent this year.
Mississippi State is 38th in the nation in rebounds per game this year while sitting 21st in offensive rebounding percentage and 97th in defensive rebounding percentage. Smith leads the way with 8.1 rebounds per this team. Further, he has three offensive rebounds per game this year. Cameron Matthews is second on the team with seven rebounds per game, while Jimmy Bell Jr. has 5.5 rebounds per game this year.
Mississippi is 78th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 48th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, they are 45th in the nation in steals per game this year. Matthews has been great here, coming in with 2.1 steals per game this year. Further, Dashawn Davis comes in with 1.5 steals per game, while DJ Jeffries adds a steal per game.
Final South Carolina-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick
While South Carolina is fighting for the two seeds in the SEC tournament, Mississippi State has been the more efficient team overall this year. Still, it has been a struggle as of late for Mississippi State. They have failed to cover in their last three games, and all were losses. They also have failed to cover two of the last three at home. South Carolina has covered in three of their last four, with the only miss being against Tennessee. They have also covered six of their last seven on the road. South Carolina has more to play for here. Take them on the road to cover.
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Final South Carolina-Mississippi State Prediction & Pick: South Carolina +3.5 (-102)
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