The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils will visit the Southern Jaguars on Wednesday afternoon in SWAC play. The Delta Devils are arguably the worst team in Division I men's college basketball again this year. They will try to pull off a shocking upset of a Southern team that has been competitive in conference action and is looking to climb the SWAC standings. Before tip-off from Baton Rouge, continue reading to find my Mississippi Valley State vs Southern prediction.
Our Mississippi Valley State vs Southern Pick
Pick: Southern Jaguars -21.5
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils @ Southern Jaguars
Date & Time: January 28, 2026, 2:00 PM ET
Venue: F.G. Clark Activity Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Key Storylines
Mississippi Valley State enters with a 1-19 overall record and remains winless in conference play. The Delta Devils allow 86.1 points per game while scoring only 62.8, one of the widest scoring gaps in Division I. Poor perimeter defense and limited depth have contributed to repeated second-half breakdowns and the Delta Devils aren't expected to get a win in this game either.
Southern comes in at 7-12 overall and 3-3 in conference action. The Jaguars average 80.5 points per game and rank near the top of the SWAC in field goal percentage. Their interior scoring and transition offense have been reliable at home. They look like a juggernaut compared to Mississippi Valley State, despite being close to even on the season in scoring margin.
Mississippi Valley State has dropped 13 consecutive road games dating back to last season. Turnovers and defensive rebounding continue to be major issues away from home.
Michael James leads Mississippi Valley State with 20.4 points per game and accounts for a large share of their offensive output. Southern counters with Michael Jacobs, who averages the same scoring numbers. The difference in this game will come down to the superior depth for Southern around these two Michaels.
This game is a great opportunity for Southern. The Jaguars enter this game at 3-3 in the SWAC and in the middle of the pack in the standings. A win here would move them over .500 in conference play and keep pressure on the teams above them in the standings.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
Southern is 53-33 all-time against MVSU.
The Jaguars have won seven straight games against the Delta Devils dating back to January of 2020.
Mississippi Valley State is 9-10 against the spread so far this season.
Southern enters this game with a 7-9 record against the spread.
The Delta Devils have stayed under the total 11 times in 19 games.
Southern is 9-8 to the over so far this year.
Mississippi Valley State vs Southern Model Projection
Score Projection: Mississippi Valley State 57 – Southern 83
Win Probability: Mississippi Valley State 8%, Southern 92%
Final Thoughts
Southern is almost certainly going to win this contest, with the question being how much they will win by. I'm going to lay the points with the Jaguars here, as MVSU's offense continues to look worse and worse as this season wears on. After the Delta Devils failed to reach 50 points in their last outing, I expect Southern to blow them out in this early-afternoon contest down south.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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