Mississippi State Takes on South Carolina in SEC Showdown: Bulldogs' Defense Key to Victory

Game outlook

On Saturday afternoon, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-2) will go head-to-head with the South Carolina Gamecocks (12-1) in an SEC showdown. Both teams are coming off of victories - Mississippi State beat Bethune Cookman and South Carolina earned a convincing win against Florida A&M. Mississippi State has the advantage, having gone undefeated against South Carolina last season. Betting experts have Clemson as the favorite at -3, so the Bulldogs will have to stay sharp to pull off the victory.

Betting Odds

Moneyline: Tar Heels +132 | Tigers -158

Spread: Tar Heels +3 (-110) | Tigers -3 (-110)

Total: Over/Under 159 (-110)

Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Clemson will win straight-up is 61%.

North Carolina Tar Heels

The Mississippi State Bulldogs head into conference play with an impressive five-game winning streak, having only lost two games against Georgia Tech and Southern. Josh Hubbard is averaging 14.5 PPG and Cameron Matthews has shown defensive excellence, averaging 9.6 PPG on 59% shooting. Jimmy Bell Jr. is recording an average of 9.3 PPG and 9.2 RPG with three double-doubles this season. The Bulldogs are currently ranked 28th in Ken Pomeroy's ratings and their average of 76.2 points puts them at 158th. With strong defensive skills, they are allowing opponents to score only 62.7 points. North Carolina is ranked 20 in offense with an average of 85 points per game, while their defense is ranked 204th, allowing 72 points to be scored against them. The Tar Heels record an average of 40.95% field goals, 77.13% free throws, 31.80% three pointers, 11.31 defensive assists, and 12.46 turnovers per game. Vintage Tolu! 💪 @ToluSmith1 gets the old-fashioned three-pointer to fall and the Dawgs lead by 15! #HailState 🐶 || 📺 » https://t.co/QYg785yV4s pic.twitter.com/9aQjvtN60q