The Auburn Tigers take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, MS. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Auburn is favored by 4 points on the spread with a moneyline of -190. The total is set at 153.5 points.
Here’s my Auburn vs. Mississippi State prediction and college basketball picks for February 18, 2026.
Auburn vs Mississippi State Prediction
My Pick: Auburn -4
My Auburn vs Mississippi State best bet is on the Tigers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Auburn vs. Mississippi State Odds
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -115 | 153.5 -110o / -110u | -190 |
| Mississippi State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -105 | 153.5 -110o / -110u | +160 |
- Auburn vs Mississippi State spread: Auburn -4
- Auburn vs Mississippi State over/under: 153.5 points
- Auburn vs Mississippi State moneyline: Auburn -190, Mississippi State +160
Auburn vs Mississippi State College Basketball Betting Preview
Auburn Basketball
Auburn's season has gone off the rails recently. The Tigers are 14-11 overall and 5-7 in the SEC, and they're in the midst of a four-game losing streak, with Keyshawn Hall suspended indefinitely by Steven Pearl.
However, it sounds like things are trending in the right direction for Hall to play at Mississippi State. Coach Pearl said on Tuesday, "He had a great practice yesterday, and he's out there getting shots now. Hope for another great practice today."
It's hard to believe this team won at Florida less than a month ago, but it was able to do so because it took high-percentage 2-pointers as opposed to low-percentage 3s.
Tahaad Pettiford is finally playing consistent high-level basketball and is averaging 25 points over his past three games. He's done a really nice job getting downhill off the pick-and-roll, which has led to high-quality looks. Against Arkansas, seven of his 11 made shots came off the pick-and-roll.
KeShawn Murphy has been stout on the glass for Auburn, grabbing 12 boards in two of the past three games. He returns to Mississippi State, where his athleticism attacking the offensive glass will be relied on against a Mississippi State frontcourt that's been prone to allowing offensive rebounds.
Mississippi State Basketball
Mississippi State is 12-13 overall and 4-8 in the SEC. The Bulldogs are also coming off a win over Ole Miss to snap a three-game losing streak.
Since the beginning of conference play, Mississippi State has the 38th-best defense in the country, according to Bart Torvik, and is holding opponents to 29.7% from 3.
However, offensively, Mississippi State is mainly Josh Hubbard. In the win against Ole Miss, Hubbard had 32 points and shot 12-of-16 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3.
As a team, the Bulldogs are near the bottom in almost every offensive category outside of tempo. If they want to pull off the upset, they're going to need other players to step up and take the load off of Hubbard's back.
Auburn vs. Mississippi State Betting Analysis
This matchup is interesting to me, as Auburn has the 12th-best offense in the country since the start of SEC play (via Bart Torvik) despite how poorly it has shot from 3.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State is 4-8 in the SEC, but it has a top-40 defense in the same span (via Bart Torvik).
Pettiford is playing his best basketball right now, and Murphy is returning to Mississippi State fresh off a 20-and-10 double-double.
With the possibility that Hall returns, I expect Auburn to end its four-game losing streak with a big time offensive performance.
My Pick: Auburn -4
