With the point spread sitting at 9.5 and the total at 142.5, what’s the smart bet in Friday afternoon’s Mississippi State vs. Tennessee matchup? This SEC Conference Tournament clash will tip from Nashville at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
819 Mississippi State Bulldogs (+9.5) at 820 Tennessee Volunteers (-9.5); o/u 142.5
1:00 p.m. ET, Friday, March 15, 2024
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
TV: ESPN
Mississippi State vs. Tennessee: Bettors Only Leaning with Vols
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 51% of public bettors are currently backing North Carolina when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Hubbard Continues to Impress for Miss State
Josh Hubbard contributed 24 points (9-23 FG, 5-18 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and three assists in 32 minutes during Wednesday’s 75-69 loss to Texas A&M. The freshman has been a star all season and continued to show his talent on display after scoring 24 points and three assists during Wednesday’s loss to Texas A&M. Hubbard has been one of the more electric players to watch in the SEC and is averaging 16.2 points on the season.
Knecht Named SEC Player of the Year
Dalton Knecht was named SEC Player of the Year on Monday, according to the conference’s website. Perhaps no one has risen more than Knecht between the NCAA’s 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Though the senior excelled during his junior campaign, he did so with Northern Colorado, a relatively lower-ranked college. Transferring to a power conference was an enormous step up in competition, but Knecht made it work seamlessly with Tennessee. He averaged 25.5 points and 5.2 rebounds across the 2023-24 Volunteers’ 18 regular-season games against SEC teams. Knecht’s 25.5 PPG is the best by any Power Six player since Luka Garza averaged 26.2 during his 2019-20 campaign with Iowa.
Mississippi State vs. Tennessee CBB Betting Trends
Mississippi State has hit the 1H Game Total Over in 5 of their last 7 games
Tennessee have covered the 1H Spread in 22 of their last 34 games
Tennessee has hit the 1H Moneyline in 16 of their last 19 games when listed as the home team
Mississippi State has hit the Team Total Over in 5 of their last 7 games
Mississippi State vs. Tennessee CBB Prediction:
Take Tennessee. The Vols have been a sound play at the betting window of late, covering in seven out of their last 10 games entering play today. It’s not as if they haven’t covered big numbers, either. Over that span, they cashed as a 13.5-point favorite, as well as an 8.5-, 20-, 10.5-, 6.5- and 6-point favorite, as well as a 4-point underdog at Alabama. In the last 10 meetings between these two teams, the Vols are also 6-4 against the number, although they did lose outright to the Bulldogs back in January.
Mississippi State vs. Tennessee College Hoops Prediction: TENNESSEE -9.5