Mississippi State Vs. Texas Tech Odds, Picks, and Predictions (1/29/22)

Mississippi State Vs. Texas Tech Odds, Picks, and Predictions (1/29/22)

The NCAA Men’s Basketball season has taken off faster than most seasons. Teams in the Big 12 and SEC have pushed themselves to the front of the pack and secured themselves as high-profile teams in Division 1. Texas Tech finds themselves in the 13th spot nationally and 3rd in the Big 12. Mississippi State is unranked but is currently sitting at 5th place in the SEC. This matchup will be the true test of the team’s ability to play at a higher level. Texas Tech has a perfect 12-0 record at home, and Mississippi State has been 0-3 on the road. The Tech stadium has the most electric fan base, giving them an edge over their competition. Since Mississippi has had trouble on the road, the Red Raiders will take full advantage and push the team in their greatest challenge yet.

Mississippi State Vs. Texas Tech Betting Odds

According to ESPN’s power index, this meeting is definitely in favor of the Texas Tech Raiders. The power index gives Texas Tech a 75.6% confidence of victory at home. Given both teams’ records, I say that’s a very fair prediction. The facts are that Tech has more offensive weapons and are a proper makeup of a great team, while Mississippi has struggled to separate themselves from the pack in the SEC. If you add the Raiders’ home advantage, this game will most likely extend the home win streak for Texas Tech.

Texas Tech’s basketball program has swept through the competition this 2021-2022 season. Even though they stand at third in the Big 12, they rank first against the spread in their conference. They’ve been 13-7 against the spread in their first 20 games of the season. With a 65% success rate against the spread, they’re a top competitor in the betting arena for college basketball. They’ve been one of the most reliable teams to trust betting-wise, and I think this game will continue their record. Mississippi State has had less success against their spread throughout the beginning of the season. They currently stand at 8-12, landing them in the bottom three in the SEC. Their 40% success rate doesn’t leave much room for confidence in the team. Playing against Texas Tech, Mississippi’s odds are not looking great to improve their record this week.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Odds

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have had a solid start to their 2021-2022 season. They began their season with a 6-1 but have recently struggled against higher-ranked teams. In their last match, they lost to the #12 ranked Kentucky 82-74. However, they had success against their SEC rivals, #24 Alabama, in an exciting 78-76 win. The heat from Texas Tech’s offense will be very different from their recent opponents, so the team will need to step up their gameplay if they want to take down a top-ranked team.

This season, the Texas Tech defense has been unmatched, holding their opponents to 38.2% from the field, which is the best in the Big 12 conference. Mississippi State has struggled slightly on their offense, with only one big scorer on the team. Iverson Molinar leads the team in points per game with a staggering 18.4 points. He shoots 43.8% from the field when he’s away but only shoots 19% from beyond the three-point line. The Red Raider defense will put all of their pressure on Molinar, knowing he is the team’s top scorer, so be prepared to see his assist rating improve to swing the ball to his teammates. The team’s second-best scorer is the junior forward Tolu Smith. Smith averages 13.1 points per game with 6.6 rebounds per game. He’s the team’s leading rebounder and has the incredible ability to put the ball back up after a rebound. The Raiders are going to need to guard the paint excessively when Smith is on the court. 

Mississippi State averages 0.6 more points per game than the Texas Tech Raiders. This statistic would be crucial in any other match, but the Raiders’ defense can hold even the best offenses. The Bulldogs will have to commit their plays to a faster pace if they’re going to attempt to give the Raiders their first home loss.

Texas Tech Raiders Odds

The Texas Tech Raiders have had a phenomenal basketball program for the past several years. They made it to the Final Four in 2019 and have made playoff appearances over the past few seasons. This year, the team has been on fire, especially at home. They remain undefeated in Lubbock as of now, and they don’t seem to be coming to a stop. In their last game, they had a tough loss in overtime 94-91 against the #5 Kansas Jayhawks. They’ve had great success in the Big 12, taking down top competitors like the Baylor Bears, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Iowa State Cyclones. 

Senior forward Bryson Williams is the team’s leading scorer this season. He averages 13.6 points per game, sinking 54% of his shots. However, his stats improve significantly when he’s on his home court. At home, Williams shoots 61.5% and averages 14.1 points per match. His three-point percentage soars to 48.1% compared to his normal 46.9%. Williams is electric on the court with 4.8 rebounds per game on top of his impressive scoring record. The connection between Williams and his teammate, Terrence Shannon Jr, has been one of the most secure connections in Division I. Shannon averages 12 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. The two teammates can read each other to perfection and lead to great baskets in the paint. 

Guard Kevin McCullar has the most assists on the team, with 3.6 per game. At home, the assist rating increases to 4.2 per game. McCullar is a crucial player to look to his teammates under the basket. He helps run the offense with 1.7 steals and 11.9 points per game. McCullar and Bryson Williams have perfected the swing out to the three-point line for crucial plays towards the end of the game. This team is an unstoppable force that is so hard to slow down. The Raiders this season have great potential to make it to another Final Four and will be a team to keep your eyes on all season.

Mississippi State Vs. Texas Tech Picks and Predictions

This meeting between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Texas Tech Raiders will leave all eyes on Bryson Williams. Williams is the leading scorer for the Raiders and has a great court IQ, and can read defenses with ease. The Bulldogs will have to tighten their defense in the paint to prevent Williams from running away with this game. Williams feeds off of the home-court advantage, so this meeting will surely be a stand-out in his season. 

Iverson Molinar will be the star of the show on the Mississippi side. He averages staggering point values in each game. However, he struggles slightly when he’s on the road. If he can build his confidence on the Raiders’ court, he may stir up trouble for the home team.