The Ole Miss Rebels take on the Auburn Tigers in Auburn, Alabama. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Auburn is favored by 12.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -800. The total is set at 153.5 points.
Here are my Ole Miss vs. Auburn predictions and college basketball picks for February 26, 2025.
Ole Miss vs Auburn Prediction
My Pick: Ole Miss +12.5 (Play to +11.5)
My Ole Miss vs Auburn best bet is on the Rebels spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Ole Miss vs Auburn Odds
| Ole Miss Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 153.5 -115 / -105 | +550 |
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 153.5 -115 / -105 | -800 |
- Ole Miss vs Auburn spread: Auburn -12.5
- Ole Miss vs Auburn over/under: 153.5 points
- Ole Miss vs Auburn moneyline: Auburn -800, Ole Miss +550
- Ole Miss vs Auburn best bet: Ole Miss +12.5 (Play to +11.5)
Spread
I like Ole Miss on the spread down to +11.5.
Moneyline
I have no play on the ML.
Over/Under
I have no play on the total.
My Pick: Ole Miss +12.5 (Play to +11.5)
Ole Miss vs Auburn College Basketball Betting Preview
Auburn is easily one of the two best teams in America, but how will it rebound after a couple of dicey performances last week?
On one hand, Auburn walked away with a 2-0 record versus two bubble teams at home — no harm, no foul.
On the other hand, Auburn didn't look overwhelmingly dominant in either game. The Tigers needed all 40 minutes to pull away from Arkansas, while Georgia was within single digits for 98% of the game.
Can you safely back Auburn as a double-digit favorite again after it failed to cover the spread in back-to-back games? Not in this matchup.
Ole Miss doesn't get blown out. The Rebels' biggest loss of the year was by 17 points to Memphis, and that was their worst performance by far.
Since then, Ole Miss has lost to Auburn by 10 and Mississippi State by 10, and its other six losses were by single digits.
I like that to continue here, as the Rebels' success at limiting turnovers should be huge in this matchup. Nobody is better than Ole Miss at not turning it over, as it ranks first nationally with a 13.2% turnover rate.
That speaks to the Rebels' elite guard play. You won't find many more consistent guard duos than Jaylen Murray and Sean Pedulla, who provide scoring while running good offense.
Auburn has the same leading scorer in most games. It's a great luxury to have a National Player of the Year candidate, and Ole Miss doesn't have that. The Rebels don't even have a clear "star," but six players average between 10 and 14 points per game.
Pedulla leads the way with 14.8 points. However, I'd argue the most important scorers are Matthew Murrell and Malik Dia. Murrell is the one player who can really go off for a crazy scoring night, while Dia adds a scary pick-and-pop threat to the lineup.
Staying firm on the glass is paramount to Ole Miss covering the double-digit spread. In the first meeting between the two, Auburn beat the Rebels 41-30 on the glass, including 15 offensive boards.
The Rebels don't have the size to battle Auburn on the block, as they start just one player above 6-foot-6.
Shooting is another key for Ole Miss. It attempts 3s on 41% of its shots, and hitting a healthy percentage is how an underdog competes on the road.
Keep an eye on Ole Miss' pick-and-roll play. According to Synergy, Ole Miss' pick-and-roll ball-handlers score at a 0.903 points-per-possession clip, putting the Rebels in the 91st percentile.
Conversely, Auburn ranks in the 55th percentile at defending pick-and-roll ball-handlers, so that could be an advantage for Ole Miss.
The Tigers remain the best offense in America, sitting at No. 1 in KenPom's efficiency metric. Auburn is a very dangerous team from both inside the arc and from deep, shooting 56% from 2-point range and 37% from deep.
Auburn offers a strong attack to beat Ole Miss' defense, as it turns the ball over just 13% of the time. The Rebels' defense can turn up the heat, leading to a 21% defensive turnover rate.
Johni Broome is incredible, and he's one of the best in America for a reason. He boasts a huge height advantage versus Ole Miss' small-ball fours and should put up monster numbers here.
I'd like to see the Rebels pressure Broome and force others to beat them.
Overall, I just think Auburn is laying a few too many here. Ole Miss doesn't get run out of gyms easily, is well-coached and has guards who aren't afraid of the moment.
Plus, it'll be hungry after losing back-to-back games.
