The Auburn Tigers take on the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Auburn is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -245. The total is set at 149.5 points.
Here are my Auburn vs. Ole Miss predictions and college basketball picks for February 1, 2025.
Auburn vs Ole Miss Prediction
My Pick: PASS · Lean Ole Miss +6.5
My Auburn vs Ole Miss best bet is on the Rebels spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
Auburn vs Ole Miss Odds
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 149.5 -110 / -110 | -245 |
| Ole Miss Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 149.5 -110 / -110 | +200 |
- Auburn vs Ole Miss spread: Auburn -5.5
- Auburn vs Ole Miss over/under: 149.5
- Auburn vs Ole Miss moneyline: Auburn -245, Ole Miss +200
- Auburn vs Ole Miss best bet: PASS · Lean Ole Miss +6.5
Spread
I'm passing on this game altogether. But if I had to pick a side, I'd take the points with Ole Miss.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the total.
My Pick: PASS · Lean Ole Miss +6.5
Auburn vs Ole Miss College Basketball Betting Preview
Both defenses funnel opponents into isolation creation, although in different ways.
Auburn switches from deep drop-coverage to an on-the-level hedge-and-recover scheme that tends to force on-ball middle-of-the-floor creation.
Conversely, Ole Miss runs an aggressive no-middle overhelp scheme that forces everything to the sidelines and baselines.
The good news for Ole Miss is that the Rebels relentlessly hunt isolation mismatch opportunities on offense, primarily through their wings and backcourt (Sean Pedulla, Jaylen Murray, Matthew Murrell, Jaemyn Brakefield and Dre Davis). They should be comfortable running that offense on Saturday.
Additionally, the Rebels’ no-middle scheme typically denies the paint and rim while allowing plenty of open perimeter catch-and-shoot opportunities. Luckily for them, Auburn runs a flex-motion offense that works primarily on the interior, so the Tigers aren’t as comfortable in catch-and-shoot creation.
The bad news for the Rebels is that they’re vulnerable at the rim when they don’t force turnovers, as they lack a true rim protector.
Auburn is a steady ball-handling team (14% offensive turnover rate, seventh nationally, per KenPom) that can methodically wear the Rebels down and capitalize on their oft-weak 2-point defense (49% 2-point shooting allowed, ninth in the SEC, per KenPom).
Also, the Rebels aren’t superstars at cleaning the defensive glass, which could lead to plenty of second-chance points for the Tigers now that Johni Broome is back on the court.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State seldom crashes the offensive glass, so it likely won’t exploit Auburn’s defensive rebounding issues (the Tigers have struggled mightily in conference play).
So, there’s plenty of push and pull in this matchup.
Even from a regression standpoint, where both teams are likely overvalued thanks to some lucky shooting variance on defense. Auburn’s SEC opponents are shooting 27% from 3 when it should be closer to 33%, per ShotQuality. Meanwhile, Ole Miss’ opponents are shooting 26%, which should be closer to 34%.
I can’t find a schematic edge in this matchup, so I’ll likely stay away.
However, from a situational perspective, I could see an argument for backing Ole Miss.
The Rebels could use another statement win after dropping three of the past four, and they’ve been fantastic as an underdog this season (6-2 ATS with outright wins over Alabama, Arkansas, and BYU).
Meanwhile, Auburn’s had a few issues away from the jungle this year, including an outright loss to Duke and close calls against Texas, South Carolina and Georgia. Health has played a role in some of those games, but still.
