Last Saturday, Kentucky lost a tough overtime game at Texas A&M. The College Basketball lines loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Wildcats. As a result, Kentucky is in second place in the SEC behind Auburn and Alabama. Kentucky will be eager to get back on track Wednesday night at home against Mississippi State. So far, the Bulldogs have been something of a surprise and good value. Hail State scored a quality win on January 10 against Tennessee. Thus, the Bulldogs will have the full attention of the Wildcats. Gamblers are looking hard at both sides.
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 7 p.m. ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, Lexington, KY. |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN2 |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | +6½ -110 | 155 -110 | +240 |  |
| Kentucky | -6½ -110 | 155 -110 | -300 | |
| ||||
Mississippi State at Kentucky SBG Odds Overview
Naturally, Kentucky playing at home after a sportsbook loss is an appealing scenario for gamblers. Additionally, the Wildcats have shown good value in 2023-24. In comparison, other name brands, such as Kansas, have drowned gamblers in red ink. Sharps will be considered a dangerous Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs have one of the top defenses in the country. And as the saying goes, “defense travels.” Also, Wise Guys are concerned about the potential overlay status of Kentucky. The Wildcats are consistently overpriced at home. UK is on the Mount Rushmore of college hoops and that comes with a price.
Mississippi State Team Overview
Overall, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are 12-4 straight up, 9-7 against the spread, and 8-8 over/under the total. Mississippi State has national metrics of 167th for scoring offense, 157th for field goal percentage, 260th for 3-point field goal percentage, 187th for free throw percentage, and 51st for offensive rebounding. While defensively, Miss State is 38th for scoring defense, 28th for field goal percentage permitted, 12th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 50th for defensive rebounding.
Late on, Hail State failed to cover three of its last four games. But a 77-72 home win over Tennessee is symbolic of the Bulldogs’ capability. Miss State went over the total in six of its previous eight games.
Namely, Tolu Smith leads Miss State with 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest. Josh Hubbard adds 15.1 points per outing.
Kentucky Wildcats Team Overview
Overall, the Kentucky Wildcats are 12-3 straight up, 10-5 against the spread, and 12-3 over/under the total. Kentucky has national metrics of 3rd for scoring offense, 17th for field goal percentage, 8th for 3-point field goal percentage, 87th for free throw percentage, and 70th for offensive rebounding. While defensively, UK is 292nd for scoring defense, 93rd for field goal percentage permitted, 95th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 286th for defensive rebounding.
Overall, Kentucky got the money in eight of its previous ten games. Nine of its last ten games went over the total. Of great concern is the Wildcats’ poor defensive metrics. Allowing that many points does keep the back door open.
Antonio Reeves leads Kentucky with 18.9 points per game. Following Reeves is Rob Dillingham at 14.4 points per contest. And then Tre Mitchell adds 12.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Mississippi State at Kentucky SBG Free Picks
On this occasion, Kentucky will be focused and determined. As was previously noted, the Wildcats have shown strong value with the College basketball lines.
Mississippi State at Kentucky SBG Best Bet: Kentucky Wildcats.