The Mississippi State Bulldogs (20-12) battle the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers (24-7) Friday in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Tip from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the'Mississippi State vs. Tennessee odds, and make our expert'college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The 9th-seeded Bulldogs upset No. 8 LSU Tigers 70-60 on Thursday in the 2nd round, covering as a 4.5-point favorite while the Under (143.5) cashed. The win snapped a 4-game losing streak. Freshman G Josh Hubbard scored 24 points and had 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. The Bulldogs have not been to the SEC Tournament title game since 2010.
The top-seeded Volunteers come into the tournament after a disappointing 85-81 loss in Knoxville to the Kentucky Wildcats to end the regular season. They were 8.5-point favorites and the Under (168) cashed. First-team All-American G Dalton Knecht had a career-high 40 points and 4 rebounds in the loss. Tennessee is trying to win the SEC Tournament title for the 2nd time in the last 3 years.
The teams met one time this season with Mississippi State winning 77-72 in Starkville. The Bulldogs won the game as a 2-point home underdog while the Over (137.5) cashed.