NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Mississippi State vs Baylor prediction, picks for men's 2025 NCAA Tournament

It's Mississippi State vs Baylor in the 2025 NCAA Tournament first round. See our expert picks and predictions for the March Madness bracket, along with betting odds and game time.

USA TODAY

March 20, 2025Updated March 21, 2025, 12:30 p.m. ET

Editor's note: Follow Men's March Madness live updates and scores from Friday's first-round action.

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is here, folks.

First-round action continues Friday and a matchup between Mississippi State and Baylor in the East Region gets things started.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs finished the 2024-25 season with a 21-12 record, good for 10th in the SEC. That earned them an 8 seed in the 2025 March Madness bracket. Their opponent, the Baylor Bears, finished seventh in the Big 12 with a 19-14 record. That earned them a No. 9 seed in the Big Dance.

Mississippi State ranks as the 32nd-best team in the KenPom rankings, sporting the 23rd-best offense and 47th-best defense. Meanwhile, Baylor ranks 29th overall, possessing the 16th-ranked offense and 58th-ranked defense.

Here's how our experts see Friday's Round of 64 clash playing out. Be sure to check out USA TODAY's complete March Madness bracket predictions to see our team's picks for every game. While you're at it, don't forget to read our tournament bold predictions and upset picks.

Without further ado, here's our Mississippi State vs. Baylor picks and predictions.

Mississippi State vs. Baylor picks and predictions

Jordan Mendoza: Baylor
Paul Myerberg: Baylor
Erick Smith: Baylor
Eddie Timanus: Mississippi State
Dan Wolken: Baylor
Craig Meyer: Baylor 71, Mississippi State 70
Sam Sklar: Mississippi State 77, Baylor 73

Our experts are favoring Baylor in this matchup. Craig Meyer is forecasting a close matchup with Baylor pulling off a slight upset and the game going under the 144.5-point total. Mississippi Clarion Ledger's Sam Sklar is backing Mississippi State to cover the 1.5-point spread and the total to go over.

Mississippi State vs. Baylor date, start time, how to watch

Game Day: Friday, March 21, 2025
Game Time: 12:15 p.m. ET
Location: Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina
TV Channel: CBS
Live Stream: Fubo - Watch Now!

Watch Mississippi State vs. Baylor on Fubo

Mississippi State vs. Baylor odds

Odds as of Wednesday, March 19 via BetMGM.

Spread: Mississippi State -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline Favorite: Mississippi State -120
Moneyline Underdog: Baylor +100
Total: 144.5

March Madness game-by-game predictions for Friday

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