Alabama vs Mississippi State Prediction, Odds & Picks - May 3, College Baseball 2024
We have an exciting Southeastern Conference matchup between the 23rd-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (28-16, 9-12 SEC) and the 16th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs (30-15, 12-9) at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
Alabama is expected to have senior southpaw Greg Farone (4-1, 3.10 ERA), while Mississippi State will counter with junior right-hander Khal Stephen (6-3, 2.77 ERA).
Which team can climb up the SEC rankings and get closer to a top spot in the SEC Tournament in a few weeks?
Alabama vs Mississippi State Odds
Alabama vs Mississippi State Head-to-Head
These teams have an extensive history in the head-to-head games. Alabama holds a slight 214-207-4 record over Mississippi State. These teams played a three-game series against one another last season, and the Bulldogs won two games.
How to watch Alabama vs Mississippi State
This game will not be airing on television, but it will be airing live on SEC Network+, an extension of the SEC Network. SEC Network+ is available through the ESPN app but does not require ESPN+ to watch.
Alabama vs Mississippi State Prediction
As of late, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have been the better overall program as they have won 11 of the previous 13 games against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Roll Tide has struggled on the road this year as they are 5-8 and 9-12 in SEC play.
Both teams have done well offensively and are getting on at a great clip. However, Alabama pitches to a 5.30 team ERA while Mississippi State is pitching to a 4.13 team ERA this season.
It is difficult to compete with that type of difference here and Khal Stephen has shown the ability to pitch with solid control as he has 15 walks in 65.0 innings. Greg Farone is getting hit a bit too much as he has a .230 opposing batting average, which is good, but 17 extra-base in 52.1 innings could cause many issues.
Go with the Mississippi State Bulldogs to continue their recent dominance over the Alabama Crimson Tide and pick up the win in the opening game of the series.