Mississippi State basketball is set to make their third-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The 8-seed Bulldogs (21-12) take on 9-seed Baylor (19-14) in Raleigh in first round action for the East Region. Here's how to watch and more notes on the matchup...
What time is Mississippi State playing Baylor in the NCAA Tournament?
The Bulldogs and the Bears will be in action early on Friday. Mississippi State vs Baylor is the first game of the NCAA Tournament's first round action on Friday, March 21. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 11:15 AM CT, 12:15 PM ET local in Raleigh.
What channel is the Mississippi State Baylor game on?
Friday morning's game between Mississippi State and Baylor will be broadcast on CBS. The NCAA Tournament's "A-Team" will be on the call for the game with Ian Eagle handling play-by-play, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill providing color commentary, and Tracy Wolfson reporting on the sidelines. Streaming will be available through the March Madness Live app. You can also watch the Bulldogs take on the Bears plus all the March Madness action through FuboTV, which offers a free trial.
Mississippi State vs Baylor point spread
This is expected to be a tightly contested game. Mississippi State is a slight favorite by 1.5 points according to DraftKings Sportsbook as of Thursday evening. Mississippi State is -120 on the moneyline while Baylor is +100. The Over/Under is set at 144.5.
Mississippi State vs Baylor injury report
According to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, Baylor guard Langston Love is expected to play against Mississippi State. Love is the lone player on either side of the matchup whose status was in doubt entering the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor's Langston Love (ankle) is expected to play in the Bears' first NCAA Tournament game later this week, per Scott Drew.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 16, 2025
DNP in last game.
Averages 8.4 PPG.
When's the last time Mississippi State basketball played Baylor?
Mississippi State's last matchup with Baylor came in the second round of the 2018 NIT. The Bulldogs and Bears played a thrilling game. Baylor, the 1-seed and host, got a go-ahead bucket with 5.1 seconds remaining. State would rush down the court and get the ball to their star, Quinndary Weatherspoon, whose three-point attempt would get a fortunate bounce at the buzzer to give the Bulldogs a 78-77 win.
The last time we played Baylor.. pic.twitter.com/ESWgwyoLxP
— Gary Louis (@garyman120) March 16, 2025
Mississippi State is 3-1 all-time against Baylor. Two of State's wins came in the NIT, those being in 1990 and of course 2018. Their other came back in 1959-1960. In 2011-2012, Baylor won a December game over the Bulldogs played in Dallas.
Mississippi State vs Baylor score prediction
This looks to be an incredibly even matchup. State's perimeter defense against Baylor's perimeter scorers could be problematic for the Bulldogs. But State's size and post players could be problematic for Baylor. I think both teams will find success offensively, but I expect the Bulldogs' size will allow them to create just enough havoc on defense to pull out a win.
Mississippi State wins 81-78