Mississippi State Bulldogs vs South Carolina Gamecocks Prediction, 1/6/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs South Carolina Gamecocks

Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024

Location: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC

TV: ESPN+

The South Carolina Gamecocks (12-1) will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-2) at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs played Bethune-Cookman and notched a win by a score of 85-62 in their last game. In reference to fouls, the Bulldogs walked away with 11 and Bethune-Cookman recorded 19 fouls. They also converted 4 out of their 16 shots from beyond the arc. Bethune-Cookman finished the game shooting 40.0% from the charity stripe by making 4 of 10 attempts. Moreover, Bethune-Cookman pulled down 28 rebounds (8 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't have a block. Bethune-Cookman distributed 11 assists and had 8 steals in the matchup. In relation to defense, Mississippi State allowed the other team to go 42.2% from the field on 27 of 64 shooting. They also distributed 17 assists in this matchup as well as forcing 15 turnovers and earning 15 steals. In relation to pulling down boards, they earned 31 with 5 of them being on the offensive end. From the charity stripe, the Bulldogs made 19 of their 24 attempts for a percentage of 79.2%. Mississippi State wrapped up the game with a 52.9% field goal percentage (27 of 51) and converted 12 of 27 shots from 3-point land.

Tolu Smith is a guy who was a major contributor for this contest. He was able to score 16 points on 5 of 5 shooting. He played for 19 mins played and also snagged 9 boards. He ended up going 100.0% from the floor but didn't record an assist.

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Mississippi State enters this contest with a win-loss record of 11-2 for the campaign. They turn the ball over 12.8 times per game and as a basketball team are committing 15.9 personal fouls per game. As a team, Mississippi State is snagging 40.4 rebounds per contest and has accumulated 204 assists on the campaign, which is 114th in the nation in terms of passing. The Bulldogs are shooting 31.8% on shots from 3-point land (103 of 324) and 72.9% from the free throw line. They are averaging 76.2 pts per game (160th in college basketball) on 44.9% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Bulldogs are forcing 13.1 turnovers per game and they draw 18.5 fouls. They are 19th in college basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 131 conceded for the campaign. The Bulldogs defense is allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 38.7% (289 of 747) and they surrender 31.8 rebounds per game as a squad. They are giving up 26.3% on shots from distance and they are 19th in the nation in points per game allowed (62.7).

In their last game, the South Carolina Gamecocks went home victorious with a score of 94-62 against Florida A&M. In relation to team rebounding, South Carolina permitted Florida A&M to get 28 in all (10 offensive). They went 53.8% from 3-point land by going 7 of 13 and ended up shooting 5 of 10 from the charity stripe (50.0%). The Gamecocks allowed Florida A&M to bury 25 of 63 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 39.7% in this matchup. At the conclusion of this game, the Gamecocks shot 30 out of 62 from the field which had them shooting 48.4%. In terms of shots from beyond the perimeter, South Carolina made 10 out of 29 tries (34.5%). They were able to knock down 24 of them for a clip of 85.7%. Florida A&M had 18 personal fouls in the game which took the Gamecocks to the free throw line for 28 attempts. They also gave up possession 8 times, while getting 5 steals for the matchup. The Gamecocks were able to snag 27 defensive boards and 14 offensive rebounds for a total of 41 in this contest.

Collin Murray-Boyles pitched in for the Gamecocks in this matchup. He buried 5 out of 6 for the game for a rate of 83.3%, and tallied 3 rebounds. He earned 17 points in his 14 mins on the hardwood and had 1 assist in this game.

South Carolina has a mark of 12-1 on the campaign. As an offensive unit, the Gamecocks are hitting on 45.0% from the floor, which is ranked 177th in D-1. South Carolina has scored 981 pts on the season (75.5 per contest) and they grab 37.1 rebounds per game. They are earning an assist 15.4 times per game (88th in the nation) and they turn it over 9.6 times per game. The Gamecocks are committing 15.8 personal fouls every game and they connect on 73.5% from the charity stripe.

The South Carolina defense allows 33.9% on shots from beyond the arc (77 of 227) and opponents are converting on 71.1% of their shots from the free throw line. They have conceded 11.0 dimes and 31.8 boards per game, which ranks them 68th and 51st in those defensive categories. The Gamecocks on defense are ranked 23rd in the country in points allowed per contest with 63.1. They are able to force 10.9 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 40.2% from the field (62nd in the country).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Mississippi State

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