The Mississippi State Bulldogs seek their sixth consecutive victory when they host the 16th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in an SEC matchup on Tuesday. Mississippi State (19-8, 8-6) opened the season with a six-game winning streak and posted an 87-67 triumph at LSU on Saturday for its second five-game run of 2023-24. Kentucky (19-8, 9-5) bounced back from a one-point loss at LSU by routing then-No. 13 Alabama 117-95 at home on Saturday. The Wildcats recorded a 90-77 home victory against the Bulldogs in their first meeting this season.

Tip-off at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Mississippi State vs. Kentucky odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 156.5 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any Kentucky vs. Mississippi State picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 17 of the 2023-24 season on a 139-94 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $2,300 for $100 players. It also is off to a sizzling 25-14 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows Mississippi State had its top freshman step up in its triumph over LSU, as guard Josh Hubbard led all players with a season-high 32 points. The Bulldogs were 10-for-21 from beyond the arc, with Hubbard sinking six of his 12 attempts. Senior Tolu Smith and redshirt sophomore KeShawn Murphy came off the bench to record 19 and 11 points, respectively, with each forward also pulling down nine rebounds.

The model also is aware that Kentucky received strong performances from several of its freshmen in the victory against Alabama, with Justin Edwards leading the way. The guard came up with his best offensive effort of the season as he scored a game-high 28 points on 10-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range. Fellow first-year players Zvonimir Ivisic (18 points, five rebounds, four blocks) and Rob Dillingham (16 points) came off the bench to contribute, while senior Antonio Reeves -- who leads the Wildcats with a 19.9-point average -- added 24 points and five assists.

Now, the model has set its sights on Mississippi State vs. Kentucky. We can tell you the model is leaning Under on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in more than 70% of simulations! 

Who wins Mississippi State vs. Kentucky, and which side of the spread hits in more than 70% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Kentucky vs. Mississippi State spread you should be all over Tuesday, all from the model that's on a 25-14 roll on top-rated college basketball spread picks!