LSU vs Mississippi State 2/12/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will travel to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to take on the LSU Tigers this Saturday night in College Basketball action.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs lost their 2^nd straight game and dropped to 14-9 on the season after being defeated by the 19^th ranked Tennessee Volunteers, 72-63, this past Wednesday. Mississippi State gave Tennessee all they could handle in a tight game for the majority of the 2^nd half, however, the Bulldogs struggled down the stretch and the Volunteers were able to pull away after closing out the final 4:20 of regulation on a 11-2 run. Mississippi State shot 50.0% from the field & 35.7% from beyond the arc while allowing Tennessee to shoot 49.1% from the field & 42.1% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Iverson Molinar who had 16 points, 3 rebounds, & 5 assists.

On the season, Mississippi State is averaging 73.0 ppg on 47.2% shooting from the field. The Bulldogs are averaging 5.5 three-pointers per game on 32.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Mississippi State has been led by Iverson Molinar (18.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.1 spg), Tolu Smith (12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.1 spg), Garrison Brooks (11.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg), & D.J. Jeffries (9.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.0 apg).

Defensively, Mississippi State is allowing their opponents to average 66.6 ppg on 43.3% shooting from the field. The Bulldogs have a rebound margin of 7.3 and a turnover margin of -0.0.

The LSU Tigers snapped their 3-game losing streak and improved to 17-7 on the season after defeating the Texas A&M aggies, 76-88, this past Tuesday. LSU was outstanding on both ends of the court in the 1^st half against LSU and had no trouble cruising to the victory after going into halftime with a 36-16 lead. LSU shot 49.0% from the field & 50.0% from beyond the arc while holding Texas A&M to just 32.8% shooting from the field & 26.7% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Tigers was Tari Eason who had a double-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, & 3 steals.

On the season, LSU is averaging 72.7 ppg on 44.1% shooting from the field. The Tigers are averaging 6.6 three-pointers per game on 33.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, LSU has been led by Tari Eason (16.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.9 spg, 1.1 bpg), Darius Days (13.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.5 spg), Brandon Murray (10.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg), & Eric Gaines (10.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.2 spg).

Defensively, LSU is holding their opponents to an average of 61.0 ppg on 37.3% shooting from the field. The Tigers have a rebound margin of 3.9 and a turnover margin of 2.8.

The Bulldogs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games, however, are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 February games. The Tigers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games & 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games.

Mississippi State has been solid on both ends of the court this season as the Bulldogs come into this game ranked 133^rd in scoring offense & 110^th in scoring defense, however, Mississippi State hasn’t been able to find any success on the road this season, as they currently have an 0-5 road record. LSU has lost 6 of their last 8 games, however, the Tigers are looking like they are rounding back into form after being a bit banged up over the past couple of weeks. LSU has had plenty of success at home (11-2) which includes wins vs. Kentucky & Tennessee, and as I think their defense, which ranks 18^th in scoring defense & 5^th in defensive FG%, will give Mississippi State a bunch of trouble, I’m taking LSU to cover this mid-range home spread. Good Luck!