Alabama vs Mississippi State Pick – Basketball Predictions & Odds 3/10/23
Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-11) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (26-5)
March 10, 2023 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: Alabama Crimson Tide -6 / Mississippi State Bulldogs +6 ; Over/Under: 136.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide meet Friday in SEC Tournament college basketball action from Bridgestone Arena. Mississippi State sits at 21-11 on the year so far. The Bulldogs won a close tournament matchup versus Florida on Thursday. As for Alabama, they’re 26-5 overall this year. The Tide lost to Texas A&M in their last game. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State’s first 24 games this year were a 16-8 run. The Bulldogs closed off the regular-season slate with a 4-3 record, beating Arkansa, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and South Carolina with losses otherwise to Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt.
On Thursday in the tournament game versus Florida, Mississippi State had a 36-26 halftime lead but stalled in the second half. After a 12-11 overtime run the Bulldogs won 69-68. Tolu Smith was tops on a double-double with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Over on the Alabama side, they managed a nice 21-3 record over their first 24 outings of the year. The Tide finished the regular season on a 5-2 stretch, beating Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas and Auburn again with losses otherwise to Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Back on Saturday versus Texas A&M, the Tide were down 32-22 by halftime. Alabama got better on a 39-35 run from there but still lost 67-61. Brandon Miller led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Jahvon Quinerly added 12 points.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll likely stick with Alabama in this one. The Tide need a good bounce-back effort after the Texas A&M matchup, though. Alabama shot a rough 33.8 percent from the field with 18 turnovers in that one, however the team had a 43-34 rebounding advantage. Prior to that loss, Alabama had scored 78 or more points in four straight games. As for Mississippi State, they’re 3-1 in their last four outings and could very well hang around in this one. These teams have met twice already, with Alabama winning both times. First was a 78-67 road victory on December 28, then a 66-63 outcome on January 25 at Coleman Coliseum. If Mississippi State plays well I can see them staying close, but I don’t think they’ll cover in the end.
