#6 Kentucky vs #14 Mississippi State: NCAA Basketball Odds & Best Bets

Not only are we getting a Top 10 showdown in the SEC, but this conference also brings us a Top 15 matchup as well down in Starkville! The #14 Mississippi State Bulldogs host Mark Pope and the #6 Kentucky Wildcats tonight at home.

Kentucky is coming off a bad road loss to Georgia, and are 2-2 in their L4 games. They beat Florida in a thriller last Saturday, but are just 2-3 away from Rupp Arena, and 0-2 in true road games this year. They have no small task facing a hungry Bulldogs team, and things don’t get easier for the Wildcats anytime soon. Including Florida, Kentucky is looking to play 5 ranked matchups this month, and 4 in a two week span.

But Mississippi State has been fantastic. They are 14-1 this season, losing only to the Butler Bulldogs on a neutral site. They have two ranked wins over #18 Pittsburgh and #21 Memphis, beating the Tigers on the road, and find themselves on an 8 game winning streak, with just two of those games being decided within 10 points. Do they have what it takes to take down Kentucky at home tonight?

#6 Kentucky Wildcats vs #14 Mississippi State Bulldogs: SEC Showdown

Matchup Information – Kentucky vs Mississippi State

• Venue & Location: Humphrey Coliseum (Starkville, MS)
• Date: Saturday, January 11th, 2025
• Tip Off: 8:30pm Eastern
• Broadcast: SEC Network

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of BetOnline, an industry leader in the sports betting world. Sign up today with promo code BNEWS for a 50% deposit bonus and $10 instantly in your account!

Spread

• Kentucky +5 (-105)
• Mississippi State -5 (-115)

Money Line

• Kentucky +190
• Mississippi State -220

Total

• Over 161 (-110)
• Under 161 (-110)

Bulldogs Welcome the Pope to Starkville Tonight

The Bulldogs have lost four straight games to the Wildcats. Their last win came in the 2021 SEC Tournament, and last year they lost a heartbreaker by two points at home. Tonight, they know that Kentucky has struggled significantly away from home, and I see them taking full advantage of that on the defensive side of things.

The Wildcats rank 5th offensively, 33rd in eFG%, and lead the nation in taking care of the basketball. They also rank 28th in pace, but those numbers change severely away from home. Kentucky drops to 133rd, 326th (Bottom 40), and 176th in those categories in road games this season. They struggle to shoot the three, and almost play too fast for their own good. Defensively they remain sound, but send their opponent to the free throw line far too often, ranking 322nd in FT Rate Defense and 289th in offensive rebounds allowed.

The Bulldogs are 7-0 at home, rank 16th offensively while also being 33rd on the defensive end as well. They aren’t afraid to slow things down, and I see them doing that in order to limit the Wildcats’ offensive possessions. Offensively, they take care of the basketball and crash the offensive glass, and I could see them dominating the second chance points tonight. The Kentucky guards will certainly have their hands full on both ends of the floor.

Now, it’s tough to look ahead during conference play, but let’s look at the next few games for each team.

Kentucky’s Schedule

• @ #14 Miss State
• vs #10 Texas A&M
• vs #5 Alabama
• @ Vanderbilt (48th on Bart Torvik)
• @ #1 Tennessee

Mississippi State’s Schedule

• vs #6 Kentucky
• @ #2 Auburn
• vs #23 Ole Miss
• @ #1 Tennessee

Both teams will have their hands full for the rest of the month, so I expect maximum effort to get this win tonight.

#6 Kentucky Wildcats vs #14 Mississippi State Bulldogs Best Bets

Kentucky vs Mississippi State Prediction: Mississippi State Wins & Covers, Over 161

Best Bets: Miss State 1H -3 (-105) BetOnline

Mississippi State has not been beating teams this year, they are annihilating them. The Bulldogs are 9-6 against the spread, and have had just four games come down to single digit points. They win by an average of 25.7 points at home, but of course Kentucky will be their toughest home opponent all year.

Lucky for them, the Wildcats struggle on the road and will take some time to get up to speed in a new environment. In all five games away from Rupp Arena this year, the Wildcats have been down at halftime, big.

Kentucky Neutral Site Halftime Scores

• vs Duke: 46-37
• @ Clemson: 37-30
• vs Gonzaga: 50-34
• vs Ohio State: 39-30
• @ Georgia: 47-34

Now, Kentucky battled back, and tied or won the 2nd half in 4 of those 5 games, but early in this one, I think they get rattled in the unfamiliar environment, making me lean that the Bulldogs jump out to a big lead.

Still Didn’t Get Your NCAA Basketball Fix?

Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well.

For more College Hoops action, check out these pages below.

• NCAA Basketball Expert Picks
• College Hoops Betting Guide
• College Basketball Championship Odds

Check Out All of Our Resources at Betting News