The matchup is set.
Tennessee will open the SEC Tournament on Friday afternoon against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had to work for it, but they found a way to come back from a seven-point deficit to beat LSU, 70-60. Their reward is a matchup on Friday against the top seed in the tournament.
The Volunteers took home the regular season title and will now shift their focus to tournament season. Armed with the SEC player of the year in Dalton Knecht and the SEC defensive player of the year in Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee is the clear favorite to win this tournament with +140 odds.
Tennessee will be looking for a little revenge in this spot after losing to Mississippi State in the regular season. The Volunteers came storming back in Starkville early in conference play, but that big early lead was too much to overcome. It ended up being a 77-72 win for the Bulldogs, despite a mad dash in the second half from Knecht and Zeigler.
The Tennessee defense had no answers for big man Tolu Smith, nor freshman guard Josh Hubbard. Hubbard helped lift Mississippi State on Thursday, scoring 24 points in their win over LSU.
Mississippi State has been a popular opponent for Tennessee in the SEC Tournament, with the two sides meeting in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Each of those seasons Tennessee advanced to the title game.
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, Tennessee has opened as a ten point favorite.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See DraftKings.com/sportsbook for details.
How to watch Tennessee vs. Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament
Date: Friday, March 14th
Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Bridgestone Arena)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV Channel: SEC Network
Streaming link: Watch ESPN, ESPN App