The Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-12) travel to face off against the Tennessee Volunteers (24-7) on Friday, March 15th. This game will be played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and televised on ESPN. Both Mississippi State and Tennessee will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 ET.
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Tennessee Volunteers
The Mississippi State Bulldogs Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Mississippi State has struggled on the road this season, going just 6-8 compared to their 13-3 record at home. They have gone 3-7 in their last 10 road games and have lost their last two games away from home.
Overall, the Bulldogs are 19-12 this season and have lost three straight games. In Southeastern Conference play, they are 8-9 compared to their 11-3 mark in non-conference games.
As the underdog, Mississippi State has struggled against the spread this season, going just 2-6. On the road, their ATS mark is 6-8. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Bulldogs have gone 3-7 vs. the spread.
Mississippi State’s over/under record this season is 14-15-1. So far, the average scoring total in their games is 143.7 points. Today’s over/under line of 141.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games of 141.1. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 152 points.
The Tennessee Volunteers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After a tough loss to Kentucky, Tennessee will look to bounce back against Mississippi State. The Volunteers have a 15-2 record at home this season, and their average scoring margin is +19.1 points per game at home. Over their last ten games at home, Tennessee has gone 8-2.
On the season, Tennessee has been favored in 26 of their 31 games, and they have a record of 22-4 as the favorite. They have gone 24-7 overall and 14-4 in Southeastern Conference play.
As the favorite this season, Tennessee has gone 14-11-1 vs. the spread and their home ATS record is 10-6-1. In their last 10 games as the favorite, the Volunteers have a 6-4 ATS mark.
Today’s over/under line of 141.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Tennessee’s games this season (145.9). So far, 13 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 0-3 and the average scoring total is 148 points.
Mississippi State Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, Mississippi State offense put up 69 points against Texas A&M. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 49.1% and made 9 threes. Josh Hubbard is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 16.8. Meanwhile, Tolu Smith also brings a PPG average of 16.3 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Hubbard (G) | 16.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
| Tolu Smith (F) | 16.3 | 8.2 | 1.3 |
| Cameron Matthews (F) | 9.6 | 7.1 | 2.9 |
Tennessee Offense Breakdown
The Tennessee offense is coming off a game in which they scored 81 points vs. Kentucky. Overall their field goal percentage was 37.8% while connecting on 12 threes. In terms of offense, the Volunteers have a season-long field goal percentage of 44%, putting them 195th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 173rd in percentage and 61st in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Knecht (G) | 21.4 | 4.8 | 1.8 |
| Jonas Aidoo (F) | 12.1 | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Zakai Zeigler (G) | 11.6 | 2.7 | 6.0 |
Mississippi State Team Defense
At present, the Bulldogs’ defense is nationally ranked 106th, allowing 69.6 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 7.0 threes per game vs. Tennessee. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 28.8%.
Tennessee Team Defense
At present, the Volunteers’ defense is nationally ranked 69th, allowing 67.7 points per game. Tennessee’s three-point defense is currently 181st in the country at 7.7 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 38.7% of their shots vs. Tennessee.
Bulldogs vs Volunteers Trends
- Although Mississippi State has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 3-7. The team averaged 72 points per game in these games.
- Across their last five home contests, Tennessee has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 76 points per game.
- Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Mississippi State has an ATS mark of 1-4 while going 1-4 straight up.
- Through their last five games as the favorite, the Volunteers have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 4-1.
Bulldogs vs Volunteers Prediction
In this Volunteers vs. Volunteers matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Volunteers at -10.5. While we project the Volunteers to win 75-70, our recommendation is to bet on the Bulldogs for the point-spread.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 141.5 and given that our model is projecting 145 points between the teams, we like the over.
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:March 15, 2024 Mississippi State Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers