The Baylor Bears and the Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to clash in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 21st.
Tip-off is set for 11:15 a.m. central on CBS. Baylor (19-14) is listed as a No. 9 seed, while Mississippi State (21-12) is listed at No. 8.
Friday’s game between Baylor and Mississippi State is the first outing for each team in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, where the winner will continue to play again on Sunday, March 23rd, against either No. 1 Duke or No. 16 American/Mount St. Mary’s.
Here is a preview of the game.
How to Watch Baylor vs. Mississippi State
Date: Friday, Mar. 21, 2025
Time: 11:15 a.m. CT
TV Channel: CBS
Site: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, North Carolina
Baylor vs. Mississippi State Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Baylor -1.5
Current Line: Baylor -1.5
Over/Under: 144.5 (Opened at 146.5)
Baylor vs. Mississippi State Predictions
To say that Baylor has been streaky under Scott Drew might be an understatement this season, as the group has been one of the Big 12’s least consistent teams. On any given night, the team could take down anyone in the country, like their wins over St. John’s and Kansas, but could also lose to teams like Colorado, TCU, and Cincinnati. In fairness, the group has been dealing with a plethora of injuries, but the team appears to be in the best shape that they have in a while, with multiple stars on the court. While Miami transfer Norchad Omier leads the group in scoring, lately, it’s been all about VJ Edgecombe. The NBA Prospect is posting 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his first season of college basketball.
On the opposite end of the court, Mississippi State is a team that prefers scoring on offense to limiting others on defense as the group checks in with the SEC’s sixth-best offense but the 12th-best defense. They’re no strangers to taking down Top 25 teams, either, as the group has accomplished that feat five different times with wins over Ole Miss (twice), Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Texas A&M. They are led by one of the best players in the SEC, sophomore guard Josh Hubbard, who is posting a career-best 18.7 points per game.
Out of all of the Big 12 matchups in the opening round, this game feels like the toughest to predict. Still, rolling with the Bears feels like the smart play.
Baylor 86, Mississippi State 83 (OT)
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Baylor 61.4% Chance of Winning
