Kentucky Wildcats vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/11/2025

by Rod Pearson

Friday, Jan 10, 2025
Game Time: 8:30 pm ET, Saturday, January 11, 2025
Venue:  Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, MS
Where to Watch:  SEC Network


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +4.5, MS State -4.5; Over/Under:  161.5 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +4.5, MS State -4.5; Over/Under:  161.5 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +4.5, MS State -4.5; Over/Under:  161.5 points

Season Record

Kentucky Wildcats:  12-3 (1-1) (10th place, SEC)
Mississippi State Bulldogs:  14-1 (2-0) (2nd place, SEC)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Big Al McMordie is on a HOT STREAK in college basketball on a 22-13 CBB RUN for +$7,580 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Recent Form
Kentucky Wildcats:  3-2  last 5
Mississippi State Bulldogs:  5-0  last 5


Kentucky Wildcats vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Preview and Analysis


Kentucky is entering this game with a 12-3 record overall, a 1-1 record in conference games, and they are 0-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Georgia Bulldogs in their last game. Lamont Butler led the team in points per game in that game with 20 while Brandon Garrison was next on the team with 13. Lamont Butler led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Otega Oweh led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 37.5% from the field, 24% from 3-point range, and 78.9% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 88.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 73.9 PPG against them. Kentucky has an ATS record of 7-8 this season and their O/U record is 8-7.


Mississippi State is entering this game with a 14-1 record overall, a 2-0 conference record, and they are 7-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Vanderbilt Commodores in their last game. RJ Melendez led the team in points in that game with 19 while Cameron Matthews was next on the team with 16. Josh Hubbard led the team in assists with 5 in that game while RJ Melendez and Claudell Harris Jr. each led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 47.4% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point range, and 84.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 83.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.5 PPG against them. Mississippi State has an ATS record of 9-6 this season and their O/U record is 7-8.



Kentucky vs Mississippi State Prediction

The current betting odds have Mississippi State listed as a 4.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Mississippi State has looked great in their games this season with their 14-1 record overall and their 2-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the SEC and ranked inside the top 25. They are coming off a nice road win over Vandy in their last one and they have looked great on their home court this year with their 7-0 home record. Meanwhile, Kentucky has looked good in their games this season with their 12-3 record overall, but their 1-1 conference record has them right in the middle of the SEC. They are coming off a bad loss to Georgia in their last one and will be looking to bounce back here, but they haven't looked good in their road games this year with their 0-2 road record. They have some good wins this season, but they also have some bad losses and have been too inconsistent against better teams. Mississippi State has been a big surprise this year, but they have a lot of talent on their team and have ben blowing teams out all season, especially in their home games. They can take advantage of the way Kentucky has played in road games this season and pick up another conference win to keep them at the top of the SEC. The best way to place a bet here is on Mississippi State to cover the spread in this game. 

Kentucky Mississippi State Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, January 11, 2025 (8:30 pm ET start time) is Mississippi State 86 Kentucky 79.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Kentucky Wildcats Mississippi State Bulldogs prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAB predictions and previews.

NCAAB Betting Trends


Kentucky Wildcats: 7-2 ATS as a road underdog or pick. 12-4 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite. 14-7 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses. 4-0 UNDER in a road game where the total is 160 to 169.5. 

Mississippi State Bulldogs: 3-6 ATS off a road win. 5-13 ATS versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots/game. 39-25 UNDER as a favorite. 6-3 UNDER off a road win.

Key Injuries


Kentucky Wildcats:  None.

Mississippi State Bulldogs:  None.

Notable Quotes


“It’s not triage where we have a bad team. We have a really good team. We didn’t play particularly well, so there were a lot of things that were a little bit anomalous where we just didn’t play great. And certainly, Georgia had some contribution to that.” - Mark Pope on where the team can improve this season. 


“It’s been great. From year-to-year, I’m not sure if it is game-to-game but definitely year-to-year, it has been really, really good. When we arrived we talked about creating that atmosphere that everybody wants in their program. Students, to me, have been the ones that have spearheaded it. They’ve been very consistent since we’ve arrived. Our staff and our players have tried to develop relationships with those folks across campus and being visible and work with them and get to know them.” - Chris Jans on the home game environment.


Starting Lineups


Kentucky Wildcats
L. Butler 
A. Carr 
O. Oweh 
J. Robinson 
A. Williams

Mississippi State Bulldogs
C. Harris 
J. Hubbard 
C. Matthews 
R. Melendez 
M. Nwoko

Statistical Leaders


Kentucky Wildcats
PPG: O. Oweh (15.7)
APG: L. Butler (4.3)
Reb/G: A. Williams (8.2)

Mississippi State Bulldogs
PPG: J. Hubbard (17.1)
APG: C. Matthews (4.1)
Reb/G: K. Murphy (7.7)

Coaches:
Kentucky Wildcats: Mark Pope (1st season)
Mississippi State Bulldogs: Chris Jans (3rd season)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

© 2025 Al McMordie's BigAl.com. All Rights Reserved.