In the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the No. 9 Baylor Bears (19-14) will face the No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-12) on Friday in Raleigh, NC.
Baylor boasts significant postseason experience, having made deep runs in recent years. Key players include guards V.J. Edgecombe and Jeremy Roach.
The Bulldogs feature a high-scoring offense, averaging 78 points per game. Standout performers include forward Norchad Omier and guard Tolu Smith.
The winner of this game earns the right to play the winner of the Duke vs. Mount St. Mary’s game.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch Baylor vs. Mississippi State
- Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
- Time: 12:15PM EST
- Site: PNC Arena
- City: Raleigh, NC
- Network/Streaming: CBS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Baylor vs. Mississippi State
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: Baylor Bears (+100), Mississippi State Bulldogs (-120)
- Spread: Bulldogs -1.5
- Total: 144.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for Baylor at Mississippi State
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s Bears & Bulldogs game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on Mississippi State on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Mississippi State -1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 144.5.
Baylor vs. Mississippi State: Top betting trends and recent stats
- Baylor is 2-0-1 against the spread in their last 3 games (9-18-3 ATS for the season)
- In 5 of Baylor’s last 6, the Game Totals have cashed to the UNDER
- Baylor is 5-5 on the Moneyline in their last 10 games
- In 6 of Mississippi State’s last 7, the Game Totals have cashed to the OVER
- Mississippi State is 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games (14-17 ATS for the season)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
