Ole Miss (22-10) vs Auburn (27-4)
- When: Mar 14 2025, 1:00 PM
- Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, USA
- Where to watch: ESPN
SEC Tournament Quarterfinals: Auburn vs. Ole Miss
Auburn: Bouncing Back to Prove a Point
Auburn had a dominant regular season, claiming the SEC title and securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament conversation, but two straight losses to close out the regular season have left the Tigers with something to prove in the conference tournament.
Now, top-seeded Auburn (27-4) faces No. 8 Ole Miss in the quarterfinals with a chance to reset and build momentum heading into March Madness. Head coach Bruce Pearl is making it clear: Auburn isn’t looking ahead—this weekend matters just as much as next.
“We’re not at all bought into the theory of next weekend being more important than this weekend; they’re both very important,” Pearl said. “This team has demonstrated that they’re great competitors. They don’t want to lose.”
The Tigers had won six straight games before dropping a heartbreaker in overtime to Alabama (93-91) and falling to Texas A&M (83-72). Those results left a bitter taste, and Auburn is coming into this matchup looking to make a statement.
Player to Watch:
SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome has been Auburn’s driving force all season, averaging 18.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Expect him to set the tone early against an Ole Miss squad that struggled to contain him in two regular-season losses.
Auburn has been here before, winning the SEC regular-season title in 2018 and 2022, but they lost their SEC tournament opener both times. Pearl has stressed the importance of avoiding that same fate this year.
“Can we be one of only three programs to win both the SEC regular season and the SEC tournament?” Pearl asked. “There’s a lot of opportunity ahead of us.”
Ole Miss: Underdog With Something to Prove
Ole Miss has already survived the pressure of a close tournament game, beating Arkansas 83-80 in the second round thanks to Sean Pedulla’s game-winning three at the buzzer.
The Rebels haven’t forgotten their struggles against Auburn this season. They lost both matchups convincingly, falling 92-82 at home and getting blown out 106-76 in the second meeting. They know adjustments need to be made.
“In both of those games, we didn’t play our best,” Pedulla said. “We’ve got to fix the little things—box out, communicate on defense, stick with our rotations.”
Despite those setbacks, Ole Miss has been resilient. After the second loss to Auburn, they closed the regular season winning two of their last three games, including a stunning 78-76 upset over then-No. 4 Tennessee.
Head coach Chris Beard has made it clear that this team isn’t satisfied with just one win.
“This was just our first game in the SEC tournament,” Beard said after the Arkansas victory. “We came here to win a championship and improve our seed in the NCAA Tournament.”
Betting Outlook: Auburn’s Edge is Clear
Auburn already handled Ole Miss twice this season, and while the Rebels are coming off a momentum-building win, it’s tough to see them keeping pace here.
Auburn has the firepower, depth, and motivation to control this game from start to finish. With Broome leading the charge and Pearl pushing his team to avoid another early exit, the Tigers should dominate this matchup.
Prediction:
Auburn wins and covers (-12)
Game leans toward the Over (155.0) with both teams capable of pushing the pace
Ole Miss fights early, but Auburn pulls away late
- NCAAB Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
