Mississippi State basketball vs Tennessee score prediction: Latest news, injury updates

On By Littum

This story was updated to add new information.

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State basketball earned a program first on Saturday, playing its third straight game with both teams ranked. That streak will now reach four games this week.

Bulldogs no. 14 (15-3, 3-2 SEC) is away and plays in no. 7 at Tennessee (16-2, 3-2) on Tuesday (6 p.m., ESPN2). It’s their first matchup since MSU upset the Vols in the SEC Tournament last March.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup

Tennessee has the SEC’s best defense

The Vols have the best scoring defense in the SEC, allowing 58.8 points per game. match. The same is true in conference play, where they allow 65.4 points per game. They hadn’t allowed over 75 points in a game all season until Vanderbilt scored 76 in its win on Saturday.

Opponents are shooting just 36.4% from the floor against Tennessee and 25.5% from 3, also best in the SEC.

Tennessee’s two losses are both on the road at Vanderbilt and at Florida.

Dalton Knecht is gone, but Tennessee has a new prolific scorer

SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht is in the NBA, but Tennessee picked up another high-level scorer on the transfer portal in North Florida’s Chaz Lanier.

The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 18.1 points per game. game, fourth-best in the SEC. He is shooting 42.7% from 3 and making 3.6 3-pointers per game. match, the most in the conference. However, he only averages 10.5 points per game. game in the last four games and is shooting 13-of-54 from the floor (24.1%).

Meanwhile, point guard Zakai Zeigler leads the SEC with 7.7 assists per game, but also commits 3.2 turnovers per game.

Riley Kugel showed his importance for Mississippi State in the win against Ole Miss

Riley Kugel returned from a one-game absence due to injury and played one of his best games in a Mississippi State uniform Saturday to beat Ole Miss. Not only that he drilled the 3-pointer in overtime after RJ Melendez’s chase. block, but he was also MSU’s leading scorer with 21 points.

It was the third time this season he has scored at least 20 points, all coming off the bench. He has established himself as a formidable secondary scorer to Josh Hubbard.

Mississippi State vs Tennessee odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM from Monday:

  • Spread: Tennessee -6.5
  • Above/below: 139 1/2
  • Money line: Tennessee (-275), Mississippi State (+220)

Mississippi State vs Tennessee Injury Updates

No update has been given on Mississippi State guard Kanye Clary, who has been out since Nov. 29 with a lower leg injury.

How to Watch Mississippi State vs Tennessee: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream

Mississippi State vs Tennessee airs on ESPN2. Tipoff is scheduled for 18. Streaming is available via Fubo.

Mississippi State score prediction vs Tennessee

Tennessee 76, Mississippi State 70: The Bulldogs beat Tennessee twice last season, but they haven’t won in Knoxville since 2015. The teams have shot the 3-pointer well against MSU, so this could be an opportunity for a big game from Lanier. The Vols win in a game decided in the final few minutes.

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him at X @sklarsam_.

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