Mississippi State at Florida State

A pair of outstanding defensive coaches pair off here in Leonard Hamilton and MSU coach Ben Howland. Both coaches are dealing with young teams and new players. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are led by star freshman Malik Newman, but the team lost to Missouri-Kansas City 72-67, connecting on only 7-of-29 Three-point attempts. Florida State plays tough defense for Hamilton, on a 5-1 run UNDER the total. Hamilton wants to see his team improve its attack against zone defenses, especially after struggling in the half-court in last week’s win over Southeastern Louisiana. Florida State is 7-2 UNDER the total at home, plus 8-2 UNDER when following a straight-up win. Mississippi State won 62-55 in Starkville a season ago in a defensive battle. The Seminoles went to Starkville riding a four-game winning streak, lost to MSU, then went on to lose four of their next six games. Look for a huge defensive effort -- especially by the home team. Play the UNDER.