The Mississippi State Bulldogs clash with the Tennessee Volunteers in the Southeastern Conference this Wednesday night. The Volunteers are in the running to win the SEC and know they can’t afford any slip-ups if they want to top the table. Can they win an eighth consecutive match? Let’s give you the answer in our latest NCAAB betting picks.
- What; 2023/24 NCAA Men’s Basketball
- Who; Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers
- Where; Humphrey Coliseum, Mississippi State, Mississippi
- When; Wednesday, January 10th 2024
- Tip-Off; 7 pm ET
MS State saw a five-match winning streak snapped when they lost in Columbia to the South Carolina Gamecocks last Saturday. The loss wasn’t a huge shock. But as 3-point road favourites, the Bulldogs will be bitterly disappointed to have lost a vitally important SEC fixture against a team they would have probably expected to beat.
Coming off a defeat like that, the last thing that the Bulldogs would have wanted is to be facing an in-form Tennessee. The Volunteers are on a winning streak of seven and will fully expect to make it eight in a row when the match tips off at 7 pm at the Humphrey Coliseum.
Latest betting to win the SEC
Betting to win the SEC looks open. The best college basketball betting sites are favoring the Volunteers at +250. But behind Rick Barnes’ team in the betting is Auburn at +300, with Alabama and Kentucky both at +500. Also in the mix is Texas A&M at +850. The top-rated NCAAB betting sites are saying that up to five teams could top the table this season.
Outside the leading contenders are Florida at +1400, with Arkansas, Mississippi, and MS State all sitting at odds of +2200.
Betting to win the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship
Purdue is the +850 betting favorite to win the 2024 NCAA Basketball Championship. The Boilermakers have been slightly trimmed into +850 from their previous price of +900. Behind Purdue in the betting is the Arizona Wildcats and Houston Cougars at +1100. The Wildcats were joint-favorites with Purdue just a couple of weeks ago, but have been eased out in recent days.
Just behind the leading three contenders is the defending champions UConn, who are out at +1400. Kansas is next at +1600, with Kentucky at +1800, and then comes the Volunteers at +2000.
MS State vs. Tennessee Volunteers Match Betting
Next up, we’re looking at the latest NCAAB betting lines for the Southeastern Conference showdown. The best betting sites have this match down as a close one. At the moment, there is no money line, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see one go live throughout the day.
On the handicap spread, MS State has a 2-point advantage. To win with the spread, the Bulldogs are -110. As for the Volunteers, they are -110 to win and cover the spread.
The total points spread is 138.5. Over and under are both -110 with the majority of sportsbooks, but under has been cut to -115 with BetOnline. More betting options are available on our college basketball odds table. For our odds, we only use the top-rated NCAA basketball betting sites.
MS State vs. Tennessee Volunteers; Latest Form
MS State sits ninth in the Southeastern Conference with an overall record of 11-3. In the conference, the Bulldogs are 0-1, having lost 68-62 to South Carolina last weekend. The loss to the Gamecocks snapped a five-match winning streak.
Overall, MS State is having a solid season. Unlike the Volunteers, the Bulldogs aren’t ranked. So to be only getting a 2-point start on the handicap against the No.5 ranked team is a testament to how well the Bulldogs are doing this season.
The Tennessee Volunteers are on a winning streak of seven and have an overall record of 11-3 this season. They sit fifth in the SEC with a conference record of 1-0.
Their most recent win came against the Ole Miss Rebels, with the Volunteers winning 90-64 thanks to a commanding performance last weekend at the Thompson-Boling Arena.
MS State vs. Tennessee Volunteers Betting Picks
At home this season MS State holds a 5-1 record. On the road, the Volunteers are 1-1. The 2-point spread on the handicap line shows how close this match could be. And a lot of this is down to the defensive strengths of both teams, with both ranking in the top 10 for defensive efficiency in the Pomeroy College Basketball ratings.
This is also expected to be a very physical encounter, with Vol’s coach Gregg Polinksy stating that he is expecting this to be the Volunteers’ most physical challenge of the year.
We feel that the Volunteers will be up to the challenge. Okay, the Bulldogs have a home advantage and will be looking to make amends for their disappointing loss to the Gamecocks last weekend. But despite this, we are going with the Volunteers. Confidence is high, they’re on a roll, and with the SEC likely to be a very competitive Conference, Tennessee knows they have to win games like this if they are to top the table.
A 2-point spread isn’t much. If the Volunteers win, they will most probably cover. So for our betting pick, we are going for the Tennessee Volunteers to win and cover the spread. We also think that under 138.5 has a good chance of winning in the total points market.
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