Liberty vs. Mississippi St. Prediction
Will No. 5 Mississippi State get its first NCAA Tournament win since 2008 when the Bulldogs face No. 12 Liberty in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament at 7:27PM ET?
821 Liberty vs. 822 Mississippi State
Friday, March 22, 2019
7:27PM ET – SAP Center
TV: TRUTV
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Mississippi State is the favorite in this game, as the Bulldogs are getting odds of -6.5 points against Liberty. The over/under total is listed at 133.5 points. The public betting currently has 67 percent going on Liberty as the underdog. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Flames on fire
Liberty has won five straight and nine of its last 10 coming into today. The Flames are the Atlantic Sun champs and have covered the spread in three of their last four. Liberty is 28-6 on the season, 1-2 on a neutral floor, 17-14 against the spread and 18-12-1 with the under.
The Flames are a strong defensive program, allowing just 60.8 points per game while holding opponents to 41.5 percent shooting. Offensively, Liberty is putting up 74 points per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. Scottie James is leading Liberty with 13.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while Caleb Homesley is adding 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.
Bulldogs seeking tourney win
Mississippi State has been a big streaky all year, but the Bulldogs are just 2-3 in their last five following a loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. Mississippi State is 23-10 on the season, 4-2 on a neutral floor, 17-16 against the spread and 17-16 with the under.
The Bulldogs are a strong offensive team, averaging 77.3 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from the arc. Defensively, Mississippi State is giving up 70.1 points per game while opponents shoot 43.7 percent against them. Quinndary Weatherspoon is leading the team with 18.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while Lamar Peters is adding 11.7 points and 5.2 assists per contest.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Liberty
The Flames are just 5-16 against the spread in their last 21 on a neutral floor and 1-6 ATS in their last seven following a cover.
Mississippi State
The Bulldogs are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 Friday games and 4-1 ATS in their last five NCAA Tournament games.
Prediction:
Liberty is a team that can get hot with its shooting and the Flames have a good defense, so they are a dangerous team for Mississippi State. However, I am going to take my chances on the Bulldogs being a legit tournament team. They have been building toward making the Big Dance for years and now can take a step forward as a program with a win. The Bulldogs should come out motivated and use their superior athleticism to overwhelm Liberty and get themselves and win and cover.
College Basketball Prediction: Mississippi State -6.5