Alabama vs Mississippi State College Basketball Prediction and Preview
![Feb 3, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama head coach Nate Oats protests to an official after another official hit him with a technical foul at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images Feb 3, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama head coach Nate Oats protests to an official after another official hit him with a technical foul at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4247,h_2388,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cowbell_corner/01jjrn5526pwy1dk8a36.jpg)
All of a sudden, Alabama is right there in the mix for everything again.
Coming off the Final Four run of last year, this year's Crimson Tide bunch has almost as much firepower, is finding ways to get through the tough SEC schedule, and now it needs this with three of its next four games on the road before dealing with Auburn.
Mississippi State needs to get hot. This is the first of a run of three road games in four dates, and it doesn't get too much easier with Missouri and Florida next.
Win this, and MSU suddenly becomes a national IT team with Mizzou coming to town on Saturday.
Alabama vs Mississippi State: College Basketball Game Preview
Date: Wednesday January 29, 2025
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
How To Watch: SEC Network
Venue: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, MS
Teams: Mississippi State (16-4), Alabama (17-3)
Fiu Bluesky
Why Alabama Will Win
Can Mississippi State keep up?
Alabama has a deadly style combination of hitting lots of threes, scoring lots of points, and doing a great job on the defensive boards. Against the nation's top scoring team, the Bulldogs have to keep taking it to the rim, and they can't blink.
And they have to at least hold their own on the offensive glass.
MSU is 9-1 when coming up with 12 or more offensive rebounds, and 7-3 when it doesn't, with one of those games a rough outing in the win over South Carolina - the team didn't do much of anything on the boards.
Alabama is relentless. You have to be able to slow it down a wee bit, and ...
Why Mississippi State Will Win
Mississippi State beat Ole Miss. Auburn didn't.
What did the Rebels do against the Crimson Tide? They forced the pace and held Bama to a season-low 64 points, starting with attacking the three and seemingly grabbing every offensive board. You give this team second chances, and forget it.
The latest South Carolina game aside, the Bulldogs are usually terrific on the offensive boards and can hold their own on the defensive side. They have to resist the temptation, though, to attack, attack, attack with fast break points.
Alabama is 3-3 when scoring fewer than 83 points, and ...
Alabama vs Mississippi State Who Will Win?
Mississippi State is 0-3 when allowing more than 84 points, 16-1 when giving up fewer.
But here's the problem. Two of those losses were recent. The Bulldogs couldn't keep up with Kentucky in a 95-90 home loss, and were never really in the 88-66 loss at Auburn.
The Hump will be really loud, and really energetic, and really fun for a back-and-forth game with the two offenses trading shots all game long.
Alabama is better equipped to have that one mini-run needed late.
Alabama vs Mississippi State Prediction
Prediction: Alabama 85, Mississippi State 81