The No.11-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs take on the No.6-seeded Georgia Bulldogs in the second round of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. The game starts at 9:25 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and will air on SEC and ES3.
The Bulldogs played well in their last game, topping Alabama 70-63 the last time they played. J.J. Frazier played well, contributing 17 points, seven assists, and six rebounds for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-66 win over Auburn in their last outing. Quinndary Weatherspoon had a solid game for Mississippi State, accounting for 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals.
Over the last five games, Frazier has really been playing well for the Bulldogs. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Bulldogs won the first game 66-57. Charles Mann was a standout player in the game, producing 21 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two three-pointers.
The Bulldogs have gone 17-12 Straight Up (SU) and 16-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The rebounding edge goes to the Bulldogs in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 39.7 boards per game. The Bulldogs have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking first in the country with a .380 opponent field-goal percentage.
Across the court, the Bulldogs have 14-16 SU and 17-11 ATS records. The Bulldogs have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .430.
With the Bulldogs’ last win against Mississippi State, their SU record against Mississippi State moves to 7-3 over their most recent meetings. Additionally, with an 8-2 record, Georgia has the advantage ATS. Georgia held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Mississippi State never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – MissSt, ATS Winner – MissSt
Notes
The Mississippi State Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 104.4 (ranked 25th), while the Georgia Bulldogs have an offensive rating of 102.6 (ranked 240th).
With 67.8 possessions and 1.026 points per possession, the Georgia Bulldogs perform worse on both metrics than the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Mississippi State averages 70.0 possessions and 1.074 points per possession.
Georgia has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.7%. Mississippi State is an underachieving 6-14 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Georgia, the 19th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.3 per game. Mississippi State ranks 66th with 4.4.
Mississippi State ranks 195th in offensive rebounds, while Georgia ranks at 29th in defensive rebounds.
Mississippi State averages a forced turnover rate of 18.8% this season, ranked 20th in the nation. Georgia has a 10-8 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
