Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats Picks and Prediction for Thursday, November 20, 2025
It’s an early-season clash on the hardwood and it brings a non-conference tilt between foes from the SEC and the Big 12 on the hardwood in the Show-Me State as the Mississippi State Bulldogs take on the Kansas State Wildcats Thursday night as part of the Hall of Fame Classic, and we have you covered with our Mississippi State vs. Kansas State prediction. Mississippi State comes in off a 75-68 home win over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday in their previous contest, failing to cover the line as a 28.5-point favorite. Kansas State edged Tulsa 84-83 at home in their previous contest Monday night, failing to cover the line as a 12-point favorite. In the all-time series between the teams, the Wildcats own a 3-1 advantage but it was the Bulldogs picking up a 67-61 road win in the most recent matchup on December 14, 2019. Read more about this Mississippi State vs. Kansas State prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!
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Mississippi State Looking for Back-to-Back Wins
Mississippi State bounced back from a loss to Iowa State as they took down Southeastern Louisiana in their previous game at home. The Bulldogs improved to 2-1 on the year and look to string together back-to-back wins by prevailing here. Against Southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi State trailed by six midway through the first half before regrouping to lead 40-35 at the half. The Bulldogs didn’t let the Lions closer than two in the second half while leading by as many as 17 en route to the victory. Mississippi State shot 45.5% from the floor, including nine of 24 from three-point range, and won the battle of the boards by a 43-33 margin. Shawn Jones Jr. led the Bulldogs with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists in the win.
The Bulldogs are 169th in the nation in scoring average with 80.3 points per game on the season. Mississippi State is 34th in rebounding by collecting 44.3 boards per contest and hands out 15.7 dimes per game, which is 156th in the nation. The Bulldogs have been slightly below average on the defensive end, ranking 223rd in scoring defense by allowing an average of 75.3 points per game. Josh Hubbard leads the team in scoring as he puts up 22.3 points plus 5.7 assists a night. Shawn Jones Jr. is a solid secondary option in the scoring department as he puts up 11.7 points plus seven rebounds a night. Ja’Borri McGhee (9.3 points), Jayden Epps, King Grace, Achor Achor, Brandon Walker, Quincy Ballard, Sergej Macura, Deliquan Warren and Jamarion Davis-Fleming are all looked at for solid minutes in coach Chris Jans’ rotation. Mississippi State is shooting 46.2% from the floor as a team on the year. The Bulldogs are knocking down 9.3 triples per game while shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc. Mississippi State has been average at the free-throw line this season, hitting 70.5% of their chances, leaving them 188th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Mississippi State:
- No Key Injuries
Wildcats Shooting to Remain Unbeaten
Kansas State escaped with a win over Tulsa at home in their previous contest to remain unbeaten on the year. The Wildcats improved to 4-0 on the year and look to pick up a win on a neutral floor here. Against Tulsa, Kansas State led by as many as 10 in the first half and held a five-point margin at the half. The Wildcats still led by eight with 7:25 remaining but trailed 83-78 with 49 seconds to play before scoring the game’s final six points to earn the win. David Castillo hit the game-winning layup with 18 seconds remaining and they hung on for the win. Kansas State shot 44.1% from the field, including five of 24 from three-point range, and won points in the paint by a 46-34 margin. P.J. Haggerty led the Wildcats with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  David Hess | +1,568.00 |
| 2 |  Ben Burns | +982.00 |
| 3 |  Tony Karpinski | +572.00 |
| 4 |  Joe Duffy | +501.00 |
| 5 |  Ross Benjamin | +328.00 |
The Wildcats are averaging 93.5 points a game so far this season as they are above average offensively: they stand 31st in scoring offense. Kansas State is collecting 35.8 rebounds a night while dishing out an average of 21.3 assists (10th) per game. The Wildcats are below average on the defensive end, ranking 265th in the nation by allowing 78.5 points per contest. PJ Haggerty leads Kansas State in the scoring department as he puts up 26 points 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Nate Johnson (14 points, seven rebounds), David Castillo (13.5 points) and Khamari McGriff (13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds) are solid secondary scoring options. Abdi Bashir Jr. (12 points), C.J. Jones, Andrej Kostic, Mobi Ikegwuruke, Elias Rapieque, Dorin Buca and Taj Manning all have to contribute for coach Jerome Tang if the team hopes to have success. The Wildcats are shooting 54.7% from the floor as a team this season, putting them seventh in Division I. Kansas State is hitting 10.5 triples a night while shooting 45.7% from beyond the arc, which is seventh in the country. The Wildcats are above average at the free-throw line as they sink 72.9% of their chances from the stripe, putting them 134th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Kansas State:
- No Key Injuries
Mississippi State vs. Kansas State Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 | Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 | David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Mississippi State vs. Kansas State Spread Pick
- Kansas State (4 units)
Both teams come in off closer-than-anticipated victories in their previous contests. Mississippi State lost its lone game outside of Starkville with a 16-point loss to Iowa State in Sioux Falls. The Bulldogs have to develop better secondary scoring to support Hubbard offensively. Kansas State slipped past Tulsa at home but they have five players averaging in double figures, led by the dynamic Haggerty. The Wildcats are a dangerous offensive team and they shoot the ball well. Mississippi State doesn’t have the firepower to match Kansas State, and that proves to be their undoing. Take the Wildcats in this one.
Mississippi State vs. Kansas State Over/Under Pick
- Over (4 units)
Mississippi State has stayed under the number in two of their three games this season. The Bulldogs are 45th in offensive efficiency, 107th in effective field goal percentage (53.8%) and 27th in offensive rebounding percentage (40.2%) on the year. On the flip side, Mississippi State is 324th in turnover percentage (22.2%) and 341st in block percentage (15.1%) this season. The Bulldogs are 98th in tempo with 72.1 possessions a night according to KenPom. Kansas State is 52nd in offensive efficiency, eighth in effective field goal percentage (63.2%), seventh in field goal percentage, and seventh in three-point shooting. The Wildcats are 32nd in adjusted tempo according to KenPom, with 73.2 possessions per game. With both teams content to run and capable offensively, this game winds up over the number.
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