Mississippi State vs. Tennessee Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Jan. 21

Mississippi State won a thriller against rival Ole Miss on Saturday, snapping the team’s two-game losing streak, but it won’t get any easier in the treacherous SEC as the team hits the road to face Tennessee in Tuesday night action.

The Vols are off a last-second loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday, a minor setback for one of the nation’s best teams. Now, the team can bounce back at home as considerable favorites against a competitive SEC foe.

What’s the best bet in this one? Here’s our look at this SEC showcase.

Mississippi State vs. Tennessee Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

Mississippi State: +7.5 (-115)
Tennessee: -7.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Mississippi State: +245
Tennessee: -310

Total: 138.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Mississippi State vs. Tennessee How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, January 21st
Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
Venue: Thompson-Boling Arena
How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
Mississippi State Record: 15-3
Tennessee Record: 16-2

Mississippi State vs. Tennessee Key Players to Watch

Mississippi State

Josh Hubbard: Hubbard had a poor shooting game against Ole Miss, making only two of his 13 field goal attempts, but was able to get downhill against a sturdy defense that helped provide some offensive relief to the rest of the roster. However, he will have his hands full with one of the best defenses in the country in Tennessee. Will the sophomore get back on track?

Tennessee

Chaz Lanier: Lanier has come back to Earth after shooting north of 43% in nonconference play from three-point range as the Vols leading scorer. The North Florida transfer is shooting 33% from beyond the arc in SEC play but seemed to have broken out of his mini-slump with a four-of-six shooting game in the loss to Vanderbilt.

Mississippi State vs. Tennessee Prediction and Pick

This is a tough setup for Mississippi State, turning around to face Tennessee on the road off of a loss. Of course, the situation isn’t great, but neither is the matchup.

The Vols defense does a masterful job of forcing teams to isolate and hunt one-on-one matchups to score late in the shot clock. However, this is where Mississippi State is short on weapons as the unit is reliant on its ball movement offense and winning the shot volume battle in order to offset its lack of elite shot-making.

Tennessee’s compact defense should force Mississippi State into plenty of poor perimeter attempts and the team’s defensive rebounding should do enough to keep the Bulldogs at bay on the glass.

On the other side, the Vols offense should be able to run its flex-cut-based sets against a Bulldogs defense that has been carved up on cuts all season with its propensity to overplay the opposition on the wing. Further, the home favorite is far more confident shooting from the distance. Tennessee is shooting about 35% from distance on a top 100 rate in the country.

This seems like a worthwhile time to back the Vols at home as considerable favorites with matchup advantages on both sides of the floor.

PICK: Tennessee -7.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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