Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers Pick – Jan 21, 2025

Both the 15th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs (15-3) and sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (16-2) are looking to find consistency when they meet on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:00 PM ET at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Vols are favored at MyBookie with a point spread at -7.5 (-105).

Mississippi State Bulldogs Betting Preview

The Bulldogs are coming off of an 84-81 overtime victory against the Ole Miss Rebels in their recent battle. This ended their two game losing streak, which were both against teams in the top six in the nation.

Their lead at the half was by eight, but they allowed the Rebels to have a strong second half to force overtime. Riley Kugel led the team with 21 points and made two key free throws with 11 seconds remaining in overtime to seal it. 

You can tell how close this game was by each team’s stats, with the Rebels slightly shooting better than the Bulldogs with 45.5 percent from the field compared to 44.6 percent. One area that separated the two was rebounding, as the Bulldogs grabbed 51 rebounds compared to 29 from the Rebels.

The Bulldogs are averaging 82.9 points and shooting 46.6 percent from the field, which puts them at an advantage if they can continue to push the ball on offense. Their defense has held teams to 70.1 points a game, offering a great margin of error.

Tennessee Volunteers Betting Preview

The Volunteers just suffered a tough loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in a 76-75 outing. This snapped their two-game win streak and they have now gone 3-2 over their last five games.

Their offense was solid for most of the game, but they allowed the Commodores to stay ahead with a 41-35 lead at the half. Chaz Lanier led with 17 points on 46 percent shooting from the field. He will be a focal point for the offense in this next matchup.

They shot better than the Commodores, making 48 percent of their shots from the field and 47.6 percent from deep. As long as they can be more consistent defending, their offense should help carry them to victory.

The Vols are averaging 76.8 points a game while making 46.1 percent of their buckets. Defensively they have held opponents to 58.8 points a game, which shows how strong of a spread they have had for most of the season.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers betting odds have been offered by MyBookie. In this college basketball betting opportunity, the Vols are 7.5-point favorites.

The Vols have an 80.2 percent chance of winning, according to market analysis. The Vols are definitely needing to make a statement here and get back on track, so look for them to cover the spread with a slightly more appealing offense compared to the Bulldogs.

Final Pick: Tennessee Volunteers -7.5 (-105)