Kentucky at Mississippi State – College Basketball Odds & Predictions: The Kentucky Wildcats, ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN mens college basketball polls, will defend their ranking by heading into dangerous territory of Humphrey Coliseum at Starkville, Miss., to play the pesky Mississippi State Bulldogs in a Super Tuesday ESPN SEC matchup (9 pm Eastern).
College basketball oddsmakers at online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com list Kentucky as 3 1/2-chalk road favorites versus Mississippi State with a 142 1/2 total. Bulldogs backers are getting +140 odds as a home underdog while the Cats are giving -160.
While the Wildcats, winners of five in a row, upended Alabama and Tennessee, the Bulldogs rallied against Ole Miss and Auburn to move into a tie for first place in the Western Division with Arkansas.
Against the Tigers, State overcame a 14-point deficit, its largest of the year in a victory, to claim an 85-75 overtime win. Sophomore point guard Dee Bost led the Bulldogs with a career-high 32 points, while draining seven 3-pointers, one shy of the school record of eight set by four different players.
It was also a big night for senior All-SEC forward Jarvis Varnado, who recorded his fifth-straight double-double and the 15th this season and 30th of his career. Yet, his crowning moment was becoming the third player in school history to total 1,000 rebounds for a career as he grabbed 12 to go along with his 10 points. He also blocked five shots to give him 519 for his career, leaving him 17 shy of the NCAA record.
Kentucky is led in scoring by freshmen standouts John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins at 17.0 and 15.9 points, respectively. Cousins is also tops with 10.2 boards an outing and tied with Varnado for the most double-doubles in the SEC this season at 15.
College Basketball Predictions: Its true that Kentucky has lost three straight to the Bulldogs, but that was last year. Kentucky could struggle at Humphrey Coliseum and it would be understandable; however, the Bulldogs can't match the talented Wildcats underneath or in the backcourt. If Kentucky has a weakness its in their maturity. They are starting three true freshmen and talented as they are, they are still freshmen. If Kentucky brings its game they will get past the Bulldogs and cover the spread.
