McNeese State vs Mississippi State Prediction College Basketball Picks 12/14/24

The McNeese State Cowboys are visiting the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, December 14th at the Cadence Bank Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a McNeese State Cowboys vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Prediction.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Preview

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have an 8-1 record this season and are coming off a 91-84 win over Prairie View A&M. The Bulldogs are 5-4 against the spread, and 6-3 in over/under, while they have a 5-0 home record. 

Offensively, Mississippi State is averaging 86.2 points per game, which ranks 16th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 69.2 points per game (138th). The Bulldogs shoot 47.4% from the field (88th) and 34.2% from beyond the arc (171st). The Bulldogs shoot 69.9% from the free-throw line (220th) and are grabbing 39.8 rebounds per game (58th).

Josh Hubbard leads Mississippi State in scoring with an average of 19 points and 3.4 assists, while KeShawn Murphy adds 11.3 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds. Mississippi State will meet Central Michigan after this game.

McNeese State Cowboys Preview

The McNeese State Cowboys have a 5-4 record this season and are coming off a 103-69 win over LeTourneau. The Cowboys are 3-4 against the spread, and 3-3-1 in over/under while having a 0-1 road record.

Offensively, McNeese State is averaging 78.2 points per game, which ranks 129th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 68 points per game (105th). The Cowboys shoot 49.5% from the field (26th) and 30.6% from beyond the arc (295th). The Cowboys shoot 73.4% from the free throw line (125th) and are grabbing 33.2 rebounds per game (306th).

Sincere Parker leads McNeese State scoring this season, with an average of 15.6 points, while Christian Shumate adds 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds.

Why the Mississippi State Bulldogs will win

• Mississippi State has won each of its last 10 games against the Southland Conference.
• McNeese State has lost 19 of its last 20 Saturday games against non-conference opponents.
• McNeese State has lost the first half in each of its last six games against AP-ranked opponents.

Why the McNeese State Cowboys will win

• McNeese State has won seven of its last eight day games.
• McNeese State has won the first half in seven of its last eight day games.

McNeese State Cowboys vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Prediction

Mississippi State leads McNeese State 2-1 with wins in their previous 3 meetings. In this McNeese State Cowboys vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Prediction, Mississippi State is coming as a -9.5 home favorite. Mississippi State is better offensively, scoring 14 points more than McNeese State, while McNeese State is better defensively, allowing 1.2 points less. The Cowboys have a better field goal percentage, as they are 26th in the nation, but they struggle with their 3-point shooting, as they rank in the bottom 70 of the nation. The Bulldogs are a superior rebounding team, ranking in the top 60 of the nation, while the Cowboys are bottom 60. Mississippi State has been undefeated at home, and I don’t think McNeese State poses a threat to change that. Take the Mississippi State Bulldogs and lay the points at home.