Mississippi State vs SMU Prediction College Basketball Picks 11/22/24

The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the SMU Mustangs meet Friday in college basketball action from SMU Moody Coliseum. Here’s a Mississippi State vs SMU prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Mississippi State vs SMU pick. We will examine:

The Mississippi State Bulldogs’ recent form and player performance

The SMU Mustangs’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Mississippi State Bulldogs

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the SMU Mustangs

Recent betting trends in games played between Mississippi State and SMU

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Mississippi State vs SMU game

Mississippi State Bulldogs Betting Preview

This year the Bulldogs kicked things off with a series of wins, and they’ve yet to record a blemish. Mississippi State beat West Georgia 95-60 in the opener, then Georgia State 101-66 and Southeastern LA 80-59 in the next pair.

Mississippi State played their closest game so far versus Utah on Sunday. The Bulldogs were in trouble with a 39-28 deficit at the break, then roared back on a 50-34 run for a 78-73 finish. Josh Hubbard was the lead scorer with 23 points in 33 minutes of action.

SMU Mustangs Betting Preview

Over on the SMU side, they hit three straight wins out of the gate this year. The Mustangs beat Tarleton State, Florida A&M, and UNC Greensboro in that time. Game four was a loss, however, 81-70 on the road versus Butler.

The Mustangs got back into the win column in their last matchup with Prairie View A&M. SMU took a modest five-point lead in the first half, then put up a 59-23 run from there for a 110-69 blowout. Matt Cross (12 rebounds) and Chuck Harris each had a team-high 17 points.

Why the SMU Mustangs will win

• SMU has won each of its last nine night games at Moody Coliseum (Dallas) against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Mississippi State has lost each of its last five games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Mississippi State has lost the first half in each of its last five night games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Why the Mississippi State Bulldogs will win

• Mississippi State has won nine of its last 10 games against non-conference opponents.
• SMU has lost each of its last three night games against the Southeastern Conference.

Mississippi State vs SMU Prediction

I might try SMU at home here. The Mustangs had a fairly slow start versus a not-so-great Prairie View team in their last outing but to their credit finished well. SMU ended up with 50 percent shooting from the field, 59 rebounds, and 25 assists but did have 14 turnovers. The Mustangs have hit 70 or more points in all five games this year.

As for Mississippi State, they didn’t shoot very well against Utah (35.8 percent) but made up for it with 45 rebounds and just seven turnovers. The real battle here is going to be on the boards; if SMU can hold their own in regards to rebounding, I think the Mustangs have a good shot at a cover/win. It’ll be a great one to watch regardless.