The Kentucky Wildcats (19-8) travel to face off against the Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-8) on Tuesday, February 27th. This game will be played at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.
Kentucky Wildcats vs Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Kentucky Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
After a 117-95 win over Alabama, Kentucky is 19-8 overall and 9-5 in the Southeastern Conference. The Wildcats have gone 3-2 as the underdog this season and are 6-4 on the road.
For the year, Kentucky has a scoring margin of +5.8 points per game on the road, and they have gone 10-3 in non-conference games. They are 16-6 when favored, and their average scoring margin at home is +13.7 points per game.
Against the spread, Kentucky has a record of 15-12 this season. As the underdog, the Wildcats are 4-1 vs. the spread. On the road, Kentucky has an ATS mark of 5-5 this year and they are 1-2 vs. the spread in their last 3 road games.
So far this season, the over/under record for Kentucky games is 19-8. The average over/under line in their games is 158.1 and the average score in their games is 166.6. For the year, the average margin between the actual scoring total and the over/under line is 8.5 points. Today’s over/under line of 156.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games this season. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 163 points.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs Are Coming Off A Win
Mississippi State enters this game as the favorite, as they have been in 21 of their 27 games this season. Overall, they are 17-4 when favored, and they have won five straight games. At home, they have been even better, going 13-2 with an average scoring margin of +10.6 points per game.
In their last game, the Bulldogs defeated LSU by a score of 87-67. Over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 8-2, and their record for the season is 19-8. So far, they are 8-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
As the favorite this season, Mississippi State has gone 12-8-1 vs. the spread. Their home ATS mark is 8-6-1, including a 2-1 record in their last three games at Humphrey Coliseum. For the year, the Bulldogs are 14-12-1 ATS.
This season, the over/under record for Mississippi State games is 12-14-1. So far, the average scoring total in their games is 142.4 points, which is 1.9 points higher than the average over/under line in their games (140.5). This year, 22 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s over/under line of 156.5.
Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and during their last five games, the OU record is 2-3.
Kentucky Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Kentucky offense ended with 117 points against Alabama. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 63.1% and made 13 threes. Antonio Reeves is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 19.9 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Rob Dillingham brings a PPG average of 15 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Reeves (G) | 19.9 | 4.2 | 1.7 |
| Rob Dillingham (G) | 15.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
| Reed Sheppard (G) | 11.7 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
Mississippi State Offense Breakdown
Mississippi State recently showcased a strong offensive performance, scoring 87 points against LSU. This output exceeded their season average of 74.9 points per game. The team’s scoring leader is Josh Hubbard, who holds an average of 15.3 as they head into today’s matchup. Additionally, Cameron Matthews is averaging 9.6 points per game this season.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Hubbard (G) | 15.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Cameron Matthews (F) | 9.6 | 6.9 | 2.8 |
| Tolu Smith (F) | 16.8 | 8.1 | 1.3 |
Kentucky Team Defense
Coming into the game, Kentucky will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 77.9 points per game (299th). Kentucky’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Alabama offense to knock down 63% of their shots on their way to putting up 95 points.
Mississippi State Team Defense
This season, the Mississippi State defense has been impressive, holding the 65th position in the country while permitting an average of 67.5 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.7 threes per game vs. Kentucky. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 27.5%.
Wildcats vs Bulldogs Trends
- In their last three games away from home, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 76 points per game in this stretch.
- Across their last three home contests, Mississippi State has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 76 points per game.
- Kentucky has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.
- In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Bulldogs have a strong straight up record of 5-0. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.
Wildcats vs Bulldogs Prediction
For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Bulldogs to secure the win, with an expected final score of 76-69. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -2.5.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 156.5 and given that our model is projecting 145 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 27, 2024 Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi State Bulldogs