Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, Latest Odds: March Madness First Four

Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, Latest Odds: March Madness First Four

We have finally made it, guys. March Madness is here, and we have one day to breathe before all of the madness begins. On Tuesday night, we will tip off the tournament with the first four games.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Pittsburgh Panthers will clash from Dayton, Ohio, in hopes of keeping their seasons alive. These two teams are the No. 11 seeds and were two of the final teams to get into the big dance. The winner of this game will face Iowa State on Friday.

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Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh Start Time and Where to Watch

• Date: March 14, 2023
• Start Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
• Where to Watch: truTV

Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh Odds

Spread: Mississippi State -2 (-110), Pittsburgh +2 (-110)

Moneyline: Mississippi State (-130), Pittsburgh (+110)

Total: Over 113 (-113), Under 113 (-107)

Click here for Mississippi State vs Pittsburgh odds

Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh Prediction

Mississippi State enters this one as a short favorite as they are currently -2 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bulldogs finished the season 21–12 overall; they were led by senior forward Tolu Smith, who averaged a team-high 15.8 points per game. Some people were surprised to see the Bulldogs make the big dance as they struggled at times in SEC play, but the committee felt they did enough to earn an opportunity. Mississippi State will look to make the most of this chance and make some noise.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, was at the top of the ACC at one point this season but finished fifth. The Panthers ended the year with an overall record of 23-11, which was good enough to earn them an opportunity. Head coach Jeff Caple has done an outstanding job with this Pitt team, who finished towards the bottom of the ACC a season ago. Pittsburgh went just 11-21 last season, winning just eight games in the conference.

What Pittsburgh has accomplished this year is impressive, but they have their sights set on much more. The star of this team has been Jamarius Burton, who leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game. Junior Blake Hinson has been outstanding himself, also averaging 15.6 points per game.

I am backing the dog and taking the Panthers with the points on Tuesday night. The dogs will be barking early in March, in my opinion. Pittsburgh matches up very well with Mississippi State and expects them to control the pace of this game which will be the x-factor.

This is an experienced Pittsburgh team that has been through a lot as a team together. I believe that their experience will play a key role here. Pittsburgh ended their season losing to the hottest team in college hoops, the Duke Blue Devils, but I expect them to recover from that L here and take care of business. 

Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh Pick

Pick: Pittsburgh +2 (-110) Bet $100 to collect $190 DraftKings has the best odds; click here to bet