South Carolina vs. Mississippi State prediction, odds: College basketball picks, best bets for Jan. 31, 2023
Teams looking to snap five-game conference losing streaks clash when the Mississippi State Bulldogs battle the South Carolina Gamecocks in SEC action on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs (13-8, 1-7 SEC), who are coming off an 81-74 upset win over No. 11 TCU on Saturday, are just 1-4 away from home this season. The Gamecocks (8-13, 1-7), who dropped an 81-78 decision at Georgia on Saturday, are 6-4 on their home court. Both teams are tied for 11th place in the SEC with Ole Miss and LSU.
Tipoff from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C., is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. MSU leads the all-time series 27-17, but South Carolina holds an 11-9 series edge in games played in Columbia. The Bulldogs are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Mississippi State vs. South Carolina odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 128. Before locking in any South Carolina vs. Mississippi State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 13 of the season 50-29 on all-top rated college basketball picks, returning more than $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on MSU vs. South Carolina and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for South Carolina vs. MSU:
- Mississippi State vs. South Carolina spread: Mississippi State -9.5
- Mississippi State vs. South Carolina over/under: 128 points
- Mississippi State vs. South Carolina money line: Mississippi State -480, South Carolina +360
- MSST: The Under is 5-0 in the Bulldogs' last five games following a straight-up win
- SC: The Under is 7-0 in the Gamecocks' last seven home games against a team with a losing road record
- Mississippi State vs. South Carolina picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game| South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Why South Carolina can cover
Freshman forward Gregory Jackson II is one of four Gamecocks averaging double-digit scoring. He certainly has made quite an impression in his first year at the school, leading the team at 16.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Jackson has also registered 20 steals on the year. He is coming off an 18-point, nine-rebound performance in the overtime loss at Georgia on Saturday, and registered a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds in an 81-60 loss at Florida on Wednesday. He scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 81-66 loss to No.16 Auburn on Jan. 21.
Junior guard Meechie Johnson has registered double-figure scoring in 12 games, including a season-high 26 in a 71-68 win at Kentucky on Jan. 10. He is coming off an 11-point, five-rebound and five-assist performance in Saturday's loss at Georgia. The transfer from Ohio State has made 18 starts in 19 games, and has already eclipsed his scoring totals at Ohio State. In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Johnson scored 136 points, but has 225 points at South Carolina. For the season, he is averaging 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
Why Mississippi State can cover
Redshirt senior forward Tolu Smith leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He is connecting on 57.7% of his field goals, and dishes out 1.8 assists. Smith has started 71 of 72 career games at Mississippi State and has scored 10 or more points in 52 of them. He has reached 20 or more points in 14 career games, including 27 points and 13 rebounds in the upset win over TCU on Saturday.
Senior guard Dashawn Davis is coming off a 16-point effort against TCU, where he connected on 54.5% of his field goals and 50% of his free throws. For the season, Davis is connecting on 39.8% of his field goals, including a blistering 42.9% from 3-point range. He has reached double-figure scoring in six games. His best effort was an 18-point performance in a 52-49 win over Utah on Nov. 23.
How to make Mississippi State vs. South Carolina picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 130 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
