Mississippi State entered the NIT as a relatively nondescript No. 4 seed in a loaded region but the Bulldogs have proven that they are plenty capable of taking down Goliath. Mississippi State is coming off back-to-back victories over Baylor and Louisville – both games that saw Ben Howland’s team as the underdog. Now, the Bulldogs will need to do it once again when they take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the semifinals of the NIT on Tuesday.
- Mississippi State is 7-0 ATS in its last 7 games as an underdog of 2.5 or more.
- Penn State is 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against the SEC.
- Tony Carr is averaging 24.5 ppg in Penn State’s last 2 games.
Mississippi State has been an expected thorn in the side of opposing offenses, allowing just 64 points per game and a 40.3 shooting percentage. Offensively, Quinndary Weatherspoon gets the most rub but it has been junior forward Aric Holman who has been the most consistent player for the Bulldogs during this tourney. Holman has averaged 15 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game during the NIT.
Not to be outdone, Penn State enters the semifinals as a No. 4 seed after upset victories over Marquette and Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions relied on their defense during the first two rounds of the tournament – holding Temple and Notre Dame to 57 and 63 points respectively – but the offense showed up when needed vs Marquette. That was thanks to the contributions of Shep Garner, who shot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc for a Penn State team that typically relies on getting the ball to the hoop.
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Penn State Nittany Lions Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Penn State Nittany Lions are 24-13 so far on the season, and 19-13-1 vs the number. The Mississippi State Bulldogs, meanwhile, are 25-11 and 17-14 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Penn State go 14-18-1 and Mississippi State go 14-17 on betting totals.
The Nittany Lions sit at No. 99 in the current college hoops power poll here at OddsShark, while the Bulldogs sit at No. 94 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
Scoring and defensive stats point to some betting edges in this matchup. The game features Penn State's No. 126-ranked scoring average of 74.54 PPG, against a Mississippi State defense rated No. 43 and allowing 67.56 PPG. The Nittany Lions' FG% has averaged 45.81% to date this season, less than the Bulldogs shooters have managed so far (46.66% per game).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The battle between the Bulldogs and Cardinals didn't turn out to be much of a battle at all as Louisville was handed a 79-56 defeat on Tuesday at KFC Yum Center.
Penn State got 30 points from Lamar Stevens en route to an 85-80 victory over Marquette on Tuesday at Al McGuire Center.
- Mississippi State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
- Mississippi State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Mississippi State's last 7 games
- Penn State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Penn State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Penn State's last 6 games
