Missouri Tigers basketball at Arkansas Razorbacks: Prediction, TV, lineups, bet line
THE DETAILS
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV: CBS
Betting line: Arkansas by 7
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
P | No. | Arkansas | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 23 | Connor Vanover | 7-3 | R-So. | 9.6 |
F | 0 | Justin Smith | 6-7 | Gr. | 11.6 |
G | 5 | Moses Moody | 6-6 | Fr. | 16.8 |
G | 11 | Jalen Tate | 6-6 | Gr. | 10.1 |
G | 3 | Desi Sills | 6-2 | Jr. | 14.1 |
P | No. | Missouri | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 23 | Jeremiah Tilmon | 6-10 | Sr. | 8.3 |
F | 24 | Kobe Brown | 6-7 | So. | 6.6 |
G | 13 | Mark Smith | 6-5 | Sr. | 12.7 |
G | 1 | Xavier Pinson | 6-2 | Jr. | 13.9 |
G | 12 | Dru Smith | 6-3 | R-Sr. | 12.1 |
PREDICTION
About Arkansas (9-0, 1-0 SEC): The Hogs haven’t played the toughest schedule, but they have comfortably defeated every team that’s appeared in their path. Arkansas is undefeated and has won by double-digits in each of its outings. The Razorbacks will sprint up and down the court at one of the fastest paces in the nation. They have no trouble scoring, either, makes them all the more dangerous. KenPom ranks them No. 28.
About Missouri (6-1, 0-1 SEC): The No. 12-ranked Tigers suffered their first setback when they were blown out by Tennessee Wednesday night. It was Mizzou’s worst game of the season, though MU coach Cuonzo Martin isn’t overreacting to one loss. The Tigers’ offense has slowed after a hot start, partly because of poor shooting. Mizzou’s looking to get back in the win column and compete in the SEC. KenPom has them No. 50.
Prediction: It’s still early in the SEC season, but Saturday’s game could serve as a glimpse into Mizzou’s psyche.
The Tigers are coming off a demoralizing loss to the Vols, one in which they were thoroughly dominated from the outset. But this was one data point in an otherwise larger sample size. That’s why Martin said he isn’t overly worried even if the Tigers need to clean up their offense. A strong bounce-back performance against the Hogs could go a long way mentally at the top of their 18-game conference slate.
Red-hot Arkansas is playing with loads of confidence. The Tigers have looked sloppy their last two games, which could partially be attributed to the long layoff of the Christmas break. But there are no excuses in the SEC, where the talent gap has shrunk and execution ultimately determines games.
The Hogs play at an even more accelerated pace than the Tigers. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman’s team is going to run, run, run, and then run some more. They have scored in bunches and have five players who average 10-plus points. Perhaps playing loose and free is what the Tigers need in order to keep up with the Hogs.
We’ll say the Tigers hang around and their offense shows the energy they displayed at the beginning of the season. The Hogs still defend well, but Tennessee was suffocating. This game should be closer, but we’ll say Mizzou falls just short.
Arkansas 82, Missouri 78