The 2^nd round of the SEC Tournament will tip off on Thursday afternoon and feature the Mississippi State Bulldogs facing the LSU Tigers in game one. The game will start at 1:00 PM ET and air on the SEC Network, with the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Bridgestone Arena.

If the NCAA tournament started today, the Bulldogs would more than likely be in it. However, if they want to secure a bid, they will have to defeat the LSU Tigers on Thursday afternoon because with a win, they will be a lock to make the tournament, and without a win, they will likely need help. 

The Bulldogs struggled to end the regular season losing their final four games of the season with three of the losses coming against Top 25 competition with a loss at home against the Kentucky Wildcats by a score of 89-91 and a game they led until 4:24 left in the game, a loss on the road against the Auburn Tigers by a score of 63-78, and a loss in overtime against the South Carolina Gamecocks by a score of 89-93. 

The Bulldogs have been inconsistent with their shooting, relying on 3-point shots made and freshman guard Josh Hubbard’s play this season. Mississippi State dominated the earlier season matchup on the road against LSU by winning the game by 20 points in an 87-67 win, which was also their last win of the regular season. They were led by Josh Hubbard’s 32 points in the game. 

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will need another strong performance from Josh Hubbard when they face the LSU Tigers in the 2^nd round of the SEC Tournament.

The LSU Tigers finished the regular season, winning five of their final seven games. They had impressive wins on the road against the South Carolina Gamecocks by a score of 64-63 and at home against the Kentucky Wildcats by 75-74 during their final seven-game stretch. The Tigers had an impressive team offensively this season, ranking 87^th nationally in scoring with an average of 76.87 points per game. However, they struggled defensively over their final five games, allowing an average of 77.6 points per game, including 80 and 94 points to two of the worst teams in the conference, the Arkansas Razorbacks and Missouri Tigers. 

Jordan Wright played a pivotal role in the Tigers' success to end the season, averaging 15.29 points per game over the final seven games. The LSU Tigers, who finished the regular season with a record of 17-14, will need to win multiple games, if not the SEC tournament, to receive a bid for the NCAA tournament. 

The Tigers will look to start the SEC Tournament strong and avenge this season’s blowout loss at home against the Mississippi State Bulldogs when they square off on Thursday afternoon.

JustBet has the Mississippi State Bulldogs listed as 5-point favorites against the LSU Tigers in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday afternoon. Mississippi State dominated the game earlier this season on the road with an 87-67 win, which was their second win in a row against LSU in the series. The Bulldogs have fared well against the spread in the series, covering the spread in four of the last five meetings.

LSU has struggled in the series against Mississippi State, losing four of the last five games. They have also failed to cover the spread in four of their last five games this season and in four of their last five games against the Bulldogs, which is why I am laying the points with the Mississippi State Bulldogs when they face the LSU Tigers in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday afternoon.