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The South Carolina Gamecocks (10-3) open up conference play against the No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-1) Saturday. Tip-off from Humphrey Coliseum is set for 2 p.m. ET (SEC Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the South Carolina vs. Mississippi State odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
South Carolina extended their win streak to 7 with a 69-59 victory over the Presbyterian Blue Hose Monday, though they failed to cover as 18.5-point home favorites. The Under 138.5 cashed. The Gamecocks dominated inside, outscoring the Blue Hose 34-20. Forward Collin Murray-Boyles led the way with 22 points and 9 rebounds in the win.
Mississippi State extended their winning streak to 6 with an 87-73 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Monday, though they didn’t cover as 28.5-point home favorites. The Over 146 cashed. The Bulldogs’ defense was aggressive, recording 11 steals. G Riley Kugel came off the bench to score a game-high 22 points for Mississippi State.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
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South Carolina at Mississippi State odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college basketball odds. Lines last updated at 9:25 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): South Carolina +450 (bet $100 to win $450) | Mississippi State -650 (bet $650 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): South Carolina +10.5 (-110) | Mississippi State -10.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 143.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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South Carolina at Mississippi State picks and predictions
Prediction
Mississippi State 76, South Carolina 62
Moneyline
PASS.
Mississippi State (-650) will win their conference home opener without much trouble but you can’t bet 6 1/2 units to win 1. I’ll take my wager to the spread.
Against the spread
BET MISSISSIPPI STATE -10.5 (-110).
South Carolina and Mississippi State come into this matchup on fire, with the Gamecocks riding a 7-game win streak and the Bulldogs winning 6 straight.
Mississippi State is perfect at home this season, going 6-0, and 5 of those wins have been by double digits. They’ve covered in 2 of their last 3 games and are putting up 83.9 points per game, which ranks 35th in the country.
The Bulldogs are scrappy on defense, forcing a ton of turnovers with over 10 steals per game. Josh Hubbard has been leading the way offensively, averaging 17.5 points per game, and the bench has been stepping up too—Kugel just dropped 22 and 19 in back-to-back games.
South Carolina hasn’t been tested much on the road, playing only 2 true road games so far and splitting them. Starting SEC play on the road against a ranked team like Mississippi State is a tough ask.
Mississippi State should stay hot and handle business at home.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 143.5 (-105).
Both teams are strong defensively, holding opponents to under 68 points per game. The Under has cashed in 4 of the last 6 matchups between them. Mississippi State has hit the Under in 3 of their last 4, and South Carolina has gone Under in 6 of their last 8. With both teams likely to play a slower-paced game, expect a tight defensive contest that keeps the total points under the line Saturday.
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