The Mississippi State Bulldogs (23-11) square off against the Baylor Bears (19-14) in the NIT at Ferrell Center. The game can be seen on ESPN at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 18, 2018.
Baylor is a 6-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 137 points.
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Baylor Bears Betting Prediction
In the Bulldogs’ last game, they beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 66-59. The Bulldogs had a much better free throw rate (0.211 vs. 0.108) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 45.7 (above their season average of 31.2). Mississippi State received a boost from Aric Holman, who was the top scorer from either team with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
The Bears had no trouble getting past the Wagner Seahawks in their last matchup, 80-59. Baylor’s effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Wagner. The Bears had a rate of 0.614 (above their season average of 0.520), while the Seahawks posted a mark of 0.338 (below their season average of 0.502). Manu Lecomte was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
Baylor should have an advantage on the offensive glass in this contest. The Bears rank 14th in offensive rebounding percentage (35.3 percent), while Mississippi State ranks 250th in defensive rebounding percentage (70.0 percent).
Mississippi State Bulldogs at Baylor Bears Pick
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – Mississippi State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Mississippi State ranks ninth in blocks per game (5.4) while Baylor ranks 207th in blocks allowed per game (4.2).
The Bulldogs rank 47th in assists allowed per game (11.6) while the Bears rank 222nd (14.4).
Mississippi State ranks 156th in three-pointers attempted per game (21.9) while Baylor ranks 287th (18.1).
The Bears rank 48th in rebounds allowed per game (32.4) while the Bulldogs rank 125th (34.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Bulldogs have been outscored by an average of 7.2 points in their last five games. On the season, Mississippi State has defeated opponents by an average of 5.9 points.
During their last five games, the Bears have scored an average of 74.2 points per game (1.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 72.0 points per game (2.6 above their season average).
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