Mississippi State vs. Auburn Prediction, Odds for SEC Tournament 1st Round

The Auburn Tigers are going to be the talk of Selection Sunday, firmly sitting on the bubble to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament, despite having a 16-15 record. If they want any hope of getting in, beating Mississippi State in the first round of the SEC Tournament is a must.

Mississippi State won the first meeting between these two teams, beating them by a final score of 91-86 back on February 18.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this matchup.

Mississippi State vs. Auburn Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

Spread

Mississippi State +7.5 (-110)
Auburn -7.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Mississippi State +260
Auburn -325

Total

OVER 158.5 (-110)
UNDER 158.5 (-110)

Mississippi State vs. Auburn How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, March 11
Game Time: 3:00 pm ET
Venue: Bridgestone Arena
How to Watch (TV): SEC Network
Mississippi State Record: 13-18 (5-13 in SEC)
Auburn Record: 16-15 (7-11 in SEC)

Mississippi State vs. Auburn Betting Trends

Mississippi State is 0-5 ATS in its last five games
The OVER is 5-2 in Mississippi State's last seven games
Mississippi State is 1-4 ATS in its last five games as an underdog
Auburn is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games
The OVER is 14-5 in the last 19 meetings between these two teams

Mississippi State vs. Auburn Key Player to Watch

Josh Hubbard, G - Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State's offense goes through Josh Hubbard. He's averaging 22.1 points and 3.6 assists per game, both of which are by far the most on the Bulldogs' roster. He put up a blistering 46 points in the Bulldogs' regular-season win against Auburn, so the Tigers will have to find a way to slow him down in the rematch.

Mississippi State vs. Auburn Prediction

In today's edition of Daily Dunk, I wrote about why I'm betting on the OVER in this SEC duel:

Mississippi State and Auburn have a lot in common, mainly that the two teams share being horrific on defense. They rank 298th and 312th in defensive efficiency, along with 287th and 292nd in opponent floor%. They're both much better offensively, ranking 120th and 166th in effective field goal percentage.

Mississippi State ranks 66th in the country in adjusted tempo, so I'm hoping the Bulldogs can push the Tigers to play a faster-paced game, leading to this being a high-scoring affair.

Pick: OVER 158.5 (-110)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!