The No. 21 Auburn Tigers (13-3, 3-1 SEC) will try to overcome one of the nation’s top scoring defenses when they play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-4, 1-3 SEC) on Saturday. Mississippi State was defeated by the Georgia Bulldogs 58-50 at Stegeman Coliseum on Wednesday, their third consecutive loss away from home. Shakeel Moore led the way in the loss with 15 points.
The Bulldogs remain 10th in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn won on Tuesday at The Pavilion at Ole Miss, beating the Ole Miss Rebels 82-73. Wendell Green Jr. had 23 points and seven assists, leading the team.
The Tigers remain fourth in the Southeastern Conference. It’s the only meeting of the season between the teams. Auburn took the only matchup between the teams last season 81-68 at Humphrey Coliseum in March 2022, their fourth straight head-to-head victory.
Jabari Smith led the Tigers with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Tolu Smith had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. Smith is averaging 13.6 points per game to lead the Bulldogs in scoring this season. Smith also has grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Dashawn Davis is dishing 2.5 assists.
Green Jr. and Johni Broome have powered the Tigers on offense, averaging 13.4 and 12.4 points per game, respectively. Broome also has pulled down 8.4 rebounds per game, while Green Jr. has recorded 3.8 assists per game.
The Bulldogs are one of the best scoring defenses in the NCAA, ranking fifth with 56.8 points per game allowed. Mississippi State is 6-4 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +3.1 (64.8-61.7). For the season, the Bulldogs are averaging 65.8 points per game, compared to 56.8 for opponents.
Auburn has gone 7-3 over the last 10, scoring 73.7 points per game on average while allowing 67.3 (+6.4 margin). The Tigers are averaging 72.7 ppg for the full season while allowing 63.2.
BULLDOGS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Tolu Smith: 14.0 | 22.9 | -8.9
Points per game:
Tolu Smith: 8.0 | 13.6 | -5.6
Rebounds per game:
D.J. Jeffries: 8.0 | 6.2 | +1.8
Tolu Smith: 4.8 | 7.6 | -2.8
Assists per game:
Dashawn Davis: 3.6 | 2.5 | +1.1
Cameron Matthews: 1.2 | 2.2 | -1.0
TIGERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Johni Broome: 29.8 | 22.1 | +7.7
K.D. Johnson: 7.6 | 11.1 | -3.5
Points per game:
Johni Broome: 16.6 | 12.4 | +4.2
K.D. Johnson: 4.8 | 8.0 | -3.2
Assists per game:
Jaylin Williams: 2.6 | 2.1 | +0.5
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
Auburn (-350)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
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