No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. No. 7 Baylor Bears
Wednesday, 12/28/11, 9:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN2
Opening Point Spread: Baylor -7.5
Current Betting Line: Baylor -8
Opening Total: 142.5
Current Total: 143.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Mississippi State is looking to win 13 games in its first 14 outings for the sixth time in school history. The Bulldogs are 1-1 all-time when playing inside the American Airlines Center, with both of those games being played during the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Bulldogs head coach Rick Stansbury is 3-4 against the Big 12 Conference in his career. “It’s very obvious we’re going to play one of the better teams in the country,” commented Stansbury. “This will be, no question, our most difficult challenge thus far.” Mississippi State is 11-4 ATS when playing on a neutral court the last two-plus years.
The Bulldogs have held 12 of their 13 opponents to 68 points or less, while shooting 50 percent or better from the floor five times. Mississippi State has four players that average double figures in scoring—led by junior forward Arnett Moultrie, who is averaging 17.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in 32.7 minutes a contest. He ranks sixth nationally in rebounding, while senior guard Dee Bost is second in the Southeastern Conference and 20th nationally in steals.
Baylor is a perfect 12-0 on the year and will be vying for its best start in program history. The Bears are one of only six undefeated Division I teams remaining, as they look to pick up their first all-time victory against the Bulldogs in their third try. It’s important to note that the program is 26-140 all-time against top 25 teams, including a 9-46 mark in the Scott Drew era. Senior forward Quincy Acy is certainly the offensive leader, ranking 21st in school history with 1,060 points, averaging 12.9 points per game. Baylor is 7-8 ATS when playing on a neutral floor the last two-plus years.
The Bears are coming off a thrilling 83-81 overtime win over the West Virginia Mountaineers as six-point favorites in last Friday’s Las Vegas Classic championship game. Baylor ranks among the top teams nationally in shooting 50.2 percent from the field, as sophomore Perry Jones III is averaging a team-best 14.1 points per game. Playing in the Metroplex hasn’t been great historically for the program, coming in with a 74-125 record all-time, including a 6-15 mark in neutral-site games in the Dallas area.
Bettors will likely back the Bulldogs due to their 5-0-1 ATS mark as an underdog, while the Bears are 1-4 ATS as a favorite of 7 to 12.5 points.
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