Who's Playing

Tennessee @ Mississippi State

Current Records: Tennessee 14-3; Mississippi State 12-5

What to Know

The Mississippi State Bulldogs haven't won a game against the #9 Tennessee Volunteers since Feb. 1 of 2020, but they'll be looking to end the drought Tuesday. MSU and the Volunteers will face off in an SEC battle at 7 p.m. ET at Humphrey Coliseum. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

The Bulldogs were within striking distance but couldn't close the gap this past Saturday as they fell 69-63 to the Auburn Tigers. Despite the defeat, MSU got a solid performance out of forward Tolu Smith, who posted a double-double on 20 points and ten boards. Smith had some trouble finding his footing against the Georgia Bulldogs last Wednesday, so this was a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Tennessee entered their contest against the Kentucky Wildcats this past Saturday without any home losses -- but there's a first time for everything. Tennessee came up short against UK, falling 63-56. This was hardly the result the Volunteers or its fans were betting on, as they were favored by 10.5 points over the Wildcats heading into this game. Guard Zakai Zeigler wasn't much of a difference maker for Tennessee; Zeigler finished with only six points on 3-for-12 shooting in his 27 minutes on the court.

The Bulldogs are now 12-5 while Tennessee sits at 14-3. Two defensive numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: MSU enters the matchup with only 57.5 points allowed per game on average, good for fifth best in college basketball. As for Tennessee, they have been holding their opponents to a field goal percentage of 33.60%, which places them first in college basketball.

How To Watch

  • When: Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Humphrey Coliseum -- Starkville, Mississippi
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $7.00

Odds

The Volunteers are a solid 7-point favorite against the Bulldogs, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Volunteers as a 6.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Tennessee have won ten out of their last 12 games against Mississippi State.

  • Jan 03, 2023 - Tennessee 87 vs. Mississippi State 53
  • Mar 11, 2022 - Tennessee 72 vs. Mississippi State 59
  • Feb 09, 2022 - Tennessee 72 vs. Mississippi State 63
  • Jan 26, 2021 - Tennessee 56 vs. Mississippi State 53
  • Feb 01, 2020 - Mississippi State 86 vs. Tennessee 73
  • Mar 15, 2019 - Tennessee 83 vs. Mississippi State 76
  • Mar 05, 2019 - Tennessee 71 vs. Mississippi State 54
  • Mar 09, 2018 - Tennessee 62 vs. Mississippi State 59
  • Feb 27, 2018 - Tennessee 76 vs. Mississippi State 54
  • Feb 04, 2017 - Mississippi State 64 vs. Tennessee 59
  • Jan 21, 2017 - Tennessee 91 vs. Mississippi State 74
  • Jan 16, 2016 - Tennessee 80 vs. Mississippi State 75