The No. 16 Tennessee Volunteers (21-7, 11-5 SEC) will travel to Humphrey Coliseum to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-8, 9-7 SEC) in their home finale. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 137 points with Mississippi State set as a 1.5-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, and it can be seen on SEC Network.
Tennessee Volunteers at Mississippi State Bulldogs Betting Preview
The last time the Volunteers played, they beat the Ole Miss Rebels, 73-65. Admiral Schofield was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Tennessee was 9-20 on three pointers (45.0 percent). Ole Miss, meanwhile, was just 1-23 (4.3 percent).
The Bulldogs will look to maintain momentum after beating the South Carolina Gamecocks in their last outing, 72-68. With 19 points on 6-for-16 shooting, Lamar Peters was the top scorer from either team. The Bulldogs made 18 of their 23 free throws (78.3 percent), while the Gamecocks had a turnover percentage of 24.1 (above their season average of 16.2).
Points could be at a premium in this meeting between two of the NCAA’s best defenses. Mississippi State currently ranks 27th in defensive efficiency (97.2) and Tennessee is 56th (98.7).
Of Tennessee’s 25 games with betting action, 14 have finished under the O/U total, while 12 of Mississippi State’s 24 games have finished over the O/U total. Both teams have superb straight up (SU) records (21-7 for Tennessee; 21-8 for Mississippi State), but the Volunteers have the edge against the spread (ATS). Tennessee is 16-10 ATS, while the Bulldogs are 12-12.
This is the first time these teams will clash this year. Each won one of the two games played against each other last season. In the last game, the Bulldogs won 64-59. The Bulldogs played a nearly perfect game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 36.8 and a turnover percentage of 10.9. For those same stats, the Volunteers were 20.9 and 17.4, respectively.
Tennessee Volunteers at Mississippi State Bulldogs Betting Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – Tennessee, ATS Winner – Tennessee, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Bulldogs rank 25th in steals allowed per game (5.1) while the Volunteers rank 84th (5.8).
- Tennessee is 10-4 ATS on the road with 8 unders and 6 overs.
- At home, Mississippi State is 8-6 ATS with 8 unders and 6 overs.
- Tennessee ranks 37th in assists per game (16.1) while Mississippi State ranks 141st (13.8).
- The Bulldogs rank 81st in rebounds per game (37.1) while the Volunteers rank 158th in rebounds allowed per game (35.0).
- Mississippi State averages 5.3 blocks per game, which ranks 13th in the NCAA. Tennessee ranks 82nd in blocks allowed per game (3.1).
Bettings Trends:
- Mississippi State is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Tennessee is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.6, down from 8.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Volunteers have scored an average of 63.4 points per game (11.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 68.0 points per game (1.1 above their season average).
