Ole Miss Rebels vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Picks and Predictions February 15th 2025

Rebels Look to Keep Rolling in Rivalry Rematch

Momentum is everything in college basketball, and right now, No. 19 Ole Miss has it. The Rebels (19-6, 8-4 SEC) enter Saturday’s home matchup against No. 22 Mississippi State (17-7, 5-6) riding a three-game winning streak, highlighted by back-to-back clutch performances from Malik Dia and Dre Davis.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are trending in the opposite direction. Mississippi State has lost three of its last four games, including an 81-68 home defeat to No. 3 Florida on Tuesday, raising concerns about their offensive consistency heading into this SEC rivalry showdown in Oxford.

Late-Game Heroics Fueling Ole Miss’ Surge

Ole Miss has found ways to win close games, thanks in large part to its ability to deliver in crunch time.

• Malik Dia stepped up in a big way on Wednesday, scoring 12 of his 18 points in the final seven minutes of a 72-68 victory at South Carolina.
• Dre Davis was the hero four days earlier, scoring a season-high 22 points, including a game-winning tip-in with 0.1 seconds left to seal a 72-70 win over LSU.

“Coming out and playing in that time,” Dia said, “it’s just knowing when it’s time to score, when to be aggressive and get to the paint.”

Rebels head coach Chris Beard was pleased with how Dia responded against South Carolina, especially after struggling against LSU, where he went just 0-for-6 from the field.

“We coach Dia hard,” Beard said. “A lot of players around the country probably wouldn’t want to, or could, take the high expectations we put on him. … To come out there and have the poise, confidence, belief in himself to play his best in winning time the last four, five or six minutes of the game was a great step for him.”

Dia is averaging 9.9 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game, while Davis contributes 10.6 points per contest. The Rebels’ offensive leader remains Sean Pedulla, who tops the team with 14.6 points per game.

Mississippi State’s Offensive Struggles Continue

While Ole Miss has been finding ways to win, Mississippi State has been struggling with offensive consistency.

The Bulldogs led No. 3 Florida by one point at halftime on Tuesday, but a second-half collapse saw them outscored 49-35 in the final 20 minutes, leading to an 81-68 loss.

“We go through spurts offensively in games that puts us behind the 8-ball,” Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans said. “You never know when they’re going to come. Obviously, if we did, we’d do everything we could to avoid it, but we get out of sorts and it’s not one person.”

Jans acknowledged that struggles on offense can be expected in the highly competitive SEC, but he emphasized the importance of not letting those issues affect the team’s overall effort.

“You’re going to have stretches where you’re going to have some costly turnovers, some poor shooting, some frustration,” Jans said. “And you’ve got to sprint back and build your defense and rely on that. We’ve had times where that wasn’t the case and it’s proved costly for us.”

Rivalry History: Mississippi State Took First Meeting

Despite their current struggles, the Bulldogs already own a win over Ole Miss this season.

In their Jan. 18 matchup in Starkville, Mississippi State started hot, jumping out to an 11-0 lead before battling their way to an 84-81 overtime victory.

Josh Hubbard led the Bulldogs in that game and remains their go-to scorer, averaging 17.6 points per game. KeShawn Murphy (11.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG) and Claudell Harris Jr. (10.0 PPG) provide additional scoring support.

However, Mississippi State’s biggest challenge will be maintaining energy throughout the full 40 minutes. As Jans noted, his team has struggled to stay engaged when shots aren’t falling.

“Unfortunately, this team, when things aren’t going well offensively, it affects other areas of our game,” Jans said.

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Key Matchups to Watch

• Malik Dia vs. Mississippi State’s Frontcourt – If Dia can replicate his late-game dominance from the South Carolina game, Ole Miss will be in a strong position to win.
• Josh Hubbard vs. Ole Miss’ Perimeter Defense – Hubbard is the Bulldogs’ top offensive threat, and if he gets hot from deep, he could help Mississippi State turn things around.
• Mississippi State’s Second-Half Effort – The Bulldogs have faded in key moments recently. Can they sustain their energy and avoid another late-game letdown?

Can Ole Miss Keep Rolling, or Will Mississippi State Bounce Back?

Ole Miss has momentum on its side, and with the home crowd behind them, they’ll be looking to extend their win streak to four games. Meanwhile, Mississippi State is desperate to snap out of its recent slump and secure a much-needed victory in SEC play.

With their earlier overtime battle still fresh in both teams’ minds, expect another intense rivalry showdown in Oxford. Will the Rebels stay hot, or can the Bulldogs flip the script? Saturday’s matchup could have major implications for both teams as the SEC race heats up.