The Tigers were unable to follow up an impressive win over Kentucky with an equally strong performance against Florida. Still, they have the offense to dominate and the matchup to get back in the win column on Wednesday.
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HOW THE MISSISSIPPI REBELS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
After a commanding win over Kentucky, the Tigers' offense couldn't find the answer against the Florida Gators, scoring just 62 in a loss on Saturday.
That shows that the LSU offense can be slowed, a promising sign against a Tigers' team who relies on their fast paced offense, given a defense that ranks No. 264 in the nation.
Mississippi's not the most accurate shooting team in the sport, but they're still averaging a very respectable 75.4 PPG thanks to a strong rebounding ratio, leaving them with 8.2 more rebounds a game than the opposition.
Forward Sebastian Saiz is the king of the rebounds for the Rebels. He's got 10.3 RPG for Ole Miss while adding 18 blocks as well which could help keep the Tigers offense in check.
Offensively, Saiz is averaging 12.5 PPG and provides an excellent tandem with guard Stefan Moody, giving the team a key player in both the frontcourt and backcourt.
Moody alone is the real reason Ole Miss has a chance to cover with him averaging 23.9 PPG and a team high 62 assists.
HOW THE LOUISIANA STATE TIGERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
LSU was able to cover the spread in a 10-point victory over Mississippi last season and there's no reason to doubt the Tigers' ability to repeat.
Offensively, few teams can match up with the Tigers with them averaging 82.8 PPG and shooting 47.1 percent from the floor. While the Gators were able to tame LSU's offense, it's hard to imagine that happening in back-to-back games. Besides, the Rebels' defense doesn't come close to matching up with Florida's.
The Rebels are also just 1-3 ATS in their last four games after failing to cover in a close home game against Georgia.
For the Rebels, it's all about Moody with Saiz chiming in. For the Tigers, it's all about Ben Simmons. The talented forward leads the team in nearly every statistical category including points with 20.6 per game, assists with 77, rebounds with 13.1 per game, steals with 29 and blocks with 19.
Like Moody, Simmons has support. Unlike Moody, it comes from more than one player.
The Tigers have four players averaging at least 11.5 PPG. In the backcourt, the team has Keith Hornsby and Tim Quarterman. Hornsby is shooting 50 percent from the floor and averaging 15.5 PPG while Quarterman is an excellent ball handler with 55 assists and five RPG out of the guard position.
In the frontcourt, Simmons is joined by Craig Victor who offers a number of rebounds himself. With Ole Miss's poor shooting percentages, the team needs to win the battle of the boards and Simmons and Victor will make that difficult.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Last season, the Tigers won 73-63 while the Rebels shot just 38.3 percent from the floor. Ole Miss still isn't a great shooting team, and with the Tigers' ability to rebound the ball, should be overmatched once again on Wednesday night.
In last year's win, LSU got double digit performances by a number of players. A couple are gone, but Quarterman and Hornsby are back for round two after combining for 34 points. Quarterman also notched a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Given last season's success, the Tigers should have plenty of confidence. Given their offense, ability to rebound the ball and Mississippi's dismal shooting percentages, LSU should be in line for the win once again as they host Ole Miss.
LSU 78, Ole Miss 66
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