Auburn vs. Mississippi Expert Pick and Prediction – February 1, 2025

AUBURN VS. MISSISSIPPI EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – February 1, 2025 — Have the Rebels stopped the bleeding? That was the question after Mississippi picked up a win it absolutely had to have against Texas. Losing that one would have raised serious questions about Chris Beard’s team, as well as knocked the Rebels toward the dreaded 8/9 game.

Instead, Mississippi seems to almost be past Meat Grinder 1 of its SEC slate. Almost, because the Rebels still have to navigate this last game with Auburn before getting any kind of a break. There aren’t many breaks in the SEC, but LSU and South Carolina are about as close as it gets right now.

Related: The Return of Rich Rodriguez

Auburn has played some incredible basketball this season. A loss at Duke remains the only blemish on the Tigers’ mark, as Bruce Pearl has a legitimate contender for the national championship. The Tigers’ only real weaknesses are that they’re not as strong as they should be on the glass and they foul too often.

Too many fouls can make a difference against the wrong opponent, but Mississippi doesn’t appear to be that team. The Rebels don’t get to the line very often and aren’t all that effective when they get there. Free throws are the way to beat Auburn, because nobody really has a matchup with Johni Broome in the low post. If the Rebels can’t consistently get to the line and make foul shots, it’s difficult to imagine they hang around.

The Odds

Tipoff

When: Saturday, February 1 at 2 p.m.

Where: Sandy and John Black Pavilion, Oxford, Miss.

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: Unavailable

Public Money: Unavailable

Auburn vs. Mississippi In-Season Trends

Over the past three years, Auburn has taken control in this matchup. The Tigers have now won six in a row against the Rebels, including three straight in Oxford. Auburn has gone 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in its past five trips to Oxford, and its past three wins have all come by at least nine points.

Related: Fixing the New York Giants

Mississippi had been gold for bettors up until recently, covering in five straight to open January. That has turned sharply; the Rebels are 0-3 ATS in their past three games. None of those were bad losses, with the worst one coming to Texas A&M, but the Rebels clearly aren’t playing to their potential.

The Difference-Makers

Sean Pedulla is both Mississippi’s leading scorer and its best at causing turnovers. He’s averaging 2.2 steals per game and has hit double figures in points in each of his past five contests. He’s a solid shooter from behind the arc, and the Rebels will need a big game from him.

Related: UMass Mess: How Football Ruined the School’s Athletics

When you have a rebounder like Johni Broome, you can take a lot of chances with your shots. Auburn does, knowing that Broome can usually clean up the mess for a putback. The Tigers don’t usually need more than one chance to score, but having a walking double-double in Broome makes it that much easier.

The Pick

Mississippi doesn’t really have the offense to hang with Auburn. The Rebels aren’t great shooters, and they aren’t good enough on the glass to match up with Broome. The only real path Mississippi has to victory is by speeding up Auburn and forcing the Tigers into mistakes.

Odds are, that’s not going to work. This team hasn’t won 12 in a row by accident. The Tigers should show why they’re the best in the SEC here.