Kentucky vs Mississippi State Odds
| Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 128.5 -110o / -110u | +135 |
| Mississippi State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 128.5 -110o / -110u | -160 |
The SEC is the deepest conference in the nation, and this matchup is a prime example of why. The Kentucky Wildcats go on the road to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
After the Wildcats picked up four straight conference wins, it appeared they were on the verge of turning their season around. However, since then, they have gone 2-3 and suffered a bad loss to Georgia.
As for the Bulldogs, they have caught fire. Mississippi State comes in as winners of five straight games and will now return home as it attempts to add another tally to their winning streak.
Will Mississippi State keep the ball rolling? Or does Kentucky have some fight left in them? Let's dig in to find out.
Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky's season has been littered with hot and cold streaks. The Wildcats enter this matchup on a downswing, and it's because they lack consistency on both ends of the floor.
Offensively, they are entirely dependent on their forwards to produce. However, Oscar Tshiebwe has not been the same offensive force he was last year and has had more than a handful of poor outings.
When Tshiebwe is off, Jacob Toppin has done an excellent job of picking up the slack, but he can not be trusted in a prominent role as he's the most inefficient scorer out of the starting five.
Outside of those two, there is no absolute stability, as Antonio Reeves is a perimeter sniper, and star freshman Cason Wallace has been an all-or-nothing performer.
Kentucky is a team built to attack from the paint, but will have a tough time there against the Bulldogs. Mississippi State is 20th in 2-point percentage allowed and has held their opposition to just 29.7 percent on close-range shots this season.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Much like the Wildcats, the Bulldogs run their offense through a big man, who has been excellent this season. Tolu Smith comes into this matchup averaging 14.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor.
Nearly all of Smith's attempts come from close range, and he's converted those looks at a 68 percent rate. However, Smith will have a challenge in front of him with Tshiebwe, so it will be up to the supporting cast to find other opportunities.
Fortunately, the Bulldogs have multiple players who have proven they can catch fire. Dashawn Davis and Shakeel Moore's numbers don't jump off the page, but their skill sets make the offense dynamic and can create looks for themselves and potentially Smith.
Kentucky vs Mississippi State Betting Pick
The Bulldogs opened as 2.5-point favorites for this matchup, which is accurate given how hot they've been and the fact that they are home. However, in a game that will be low-scoring, I'm not going to mess around with the spread.
I'm taking Mississippi State on the moneyline here as the defense should stifle the Wildcats, and they will find a way to score just enough the walk away with their sixth straight victory.
Pick: Mississippi State ML -160 or Better |
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