Florida at Mississippi State: Preview, Info, Odds, Where to Watch and More

Following a tough loss to Texas A&M that snapped Florida's three-game win streak, the Gators (10-8, 3-3 SEC) remain on the road on Saturday to take on the reeling Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-6, 1-5 SEC).

The contest will feature two of the nation's premier defenses that have been overshadowed by offensive stagnancy at points during the 2022-23 season. They'll each look to rectify their shortcomings in the evenly-matched contest.

You can find everything you need to know about the matchup below.

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Florida Gators at Mississippi State

Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.

When: Saturday, Jan. 21 at 8:30 p.m. EST

Watch: SEC Network

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD / SiriusXM 380 / SXM App 970

Odds: Florida is a two-point underdog to the Bulldogs, according to the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 126.5 points.

Series history: Florida leads the all-time series against Mississippi State, 66-52. In the previous meeting, the Gators defeated the Bulldogs, 80-72, at home on Jan. 19, 2022.

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The rundown

Time for Florida to get back on track after its second loss to Texas A&M in 14 days on Wednesday as a matchup with Mississippi State awaits.

The contest will feature two teams performing under similar makeups and identities during the 2022-23 season.

To put it into perspective, each squad is entering the game off losses in their midweek contests, performing under year one head coaches and using defensive excellence to maintain themselves this season amid offensive ineptitude. Saturday will likely consist of a back-and-forth defensive affair with points coming sparingly.

Mississippi State (No. 9) and Florida (No. 13) rank in the top 15 in adjusted defensive efficiency, making every offensive possession valuable as a result.

Florida will likely rely on big man Colin Castleton — as it has throughout the year — while looking for complementary scoring production from Will Richard, Kyle Lofton, Trey Bonham or Myreon Jones.

However, as seen in their 12-point first half performance on Wednesday, realizing that success beyond Castleton has not been a guarantee for UF.

On the Bulldogs' side, forward Tolu Smith leads the unit in points and rebounds, giving Castleton yet another tough matchup in a row following a bout with Aggies center Julius Marble.

His production supplemented by Shakeel Moore as of late. Despite coming off the bench for the Bulldogs, Moore rekindled his hot hand after a disappointing year in 2021-22 to lead the unit in scoring with 20 against No. 9 Tennessee on Tuesday. He’s averaging eight points per game.

The Gators are two-point underdogs in this content, suggesting the matchup with Chris Jans’ squad on the road will be a slightly uphill battle. Even then, the margin is too small for any certainty, a testament to the equal strengths and weaknesses of these two squads.

However, no matter which way the game swings, an expected outcome will be this game being a low-scoring affair where baskets come at a premium.

Buckle in for the Gators second defensive struggle in a row, albeit not to the extent of Texas A&M’s pressure. Instead, it’ll come in more of a half-court style, like you’re watching a carbon copy of Florida playing itself.

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