Missouri Tigers vs Ole Miss Rebels Picks and Predictions January 25th 2025

SEC Gauntlet Continues as No. 22 Missouri Meets No. 16 Ole Miss

Year 2 of Chris Beard’s tenure at Ole Miss has been filled with strong enthusiasm and fan support, but back-to-back SEC losses have tested the No. 16 Rebels.

Coming off a devastating 69-68 home loss to No. 13 Texas A&M on Wednesday, the Rebels now head to Columbia, Mo., to face No. 22 Missouri on Saturday.

Ole Miss (15-4, 4-2 SEC) led the entire game against Texas A&M until Manny Obaseki’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining. The Rebels failed to score in the final 3:49, missing their last five shot attempts.

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Guard Sean Pedulla led Ole Miss with 16 points, but top scorers Matthew Murrell (1-for-9 shooting) and Jaemyn Brakefield (4-for-12) struggled, including Brakefield’s missed jumper in the final seconds.

“We’ve got a hurt locker room right now,” Beard said. “I thought we did everything we needed to do to win the game. The game was kind of mathematically over if we can just inbound the ball, make one or two passes and absorb their foul.”

The Rebels’ first home loss of the season followed an 84-81 overtime defeat at No. 15 Mississippi State last weekend.

Missouri Also Seeks a Bounce-Back Performance

Like Ole Miss, No. 22 Missouri (15-4, 4-2 SEC) is coming off a loss and needs a signature win for its NCAA Tournament resume.

The Tigers fell 61-53 at Texas on Tuesday, marking their lowest offensive output of the season. Missouri typically thrives on offense but struggled against Texas’ physical defense.

Free throws played a major role, as both teams combined for 57 attempts. Missouri hit just 70.4% from the line (19-for-27), an area head coach Dennis Gates wants to improve.

“We’ve got to get on the road above 80 percent,” Gates said.

Missouri also relies on a balanced scoring attack, featuring four players in double figures:

• Mark Mitchell (13.4 ppg)
• Tamar Bates (12.8 ppg)
• Caleb Grill (12.1 ppg)
• Anthony Robinson II (10.3 ppg)

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SEC Statement Wins Still Define Both Teams

Despite their recent struggles, both Missouri and Ole Miss have already secured marquee SEC road wins this season.

On Jan. 14, Ole Miss stunned No. 4 Alabama 74-64 in Tuscaloosa, handing the Crimson Tide their only home loss this season.

That same night, Missouri pulled off a shocking 83-82 upset at No. 5 Florida, securing the program’s first road win over a top-five team since 2012. Caleb Grill led the charge with 22 points in that victory.

Series History and What’s at Stake

Ole Miss leads the all-time series 17-8, including a 7-4 record in Columbia. The Rebels have won the last two meetings after Missouri won the previous five matchups.

With both teams looking to rebound and maintain SEC positioning, expect a highly competitive showdown in Columbia as the conference gauntlet continues.