Missouri Tigers basketball at Auburn: Prediction, TV channel, lineups, bet line
THE DETAILS
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Auburn Arena, Auburn, Alabama
TV: ESPN2
Betting line: Auburn by 2.5
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
P | No. | Auburn | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 10 | JT Thor | 6-10 | Fr. | 8.9 |
F | 23 | Jaylin Williams | 6-8 | So. | 10.5 |
G | 22 | Allen Flanigan | 6-6 | So. | 14.4 |
G | 1 | Jamal Johnson | 6-4 | Jr. | 9.8 |
G | 2 | Sharife Cooper | 6-0 | So. | 21.2 |
P | No. | Missouri | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 23 | Jeremiah Tilmon | 6-10 | Sr. | 11.8 |
F | 24 | Kobe Brown | 6-7 | So. | 6.8 |
G | 13 | Mark Smith | 6-5 | Sr. | 11.2 |
G | 1 | Xavier Pinson | 6-2 | Jr. | 14.1 |
G | 12 | Dru Smith | 6-3 | Sr. | 12.6 |
PREDICTION
About Auburn (9-7, 3-5 SEC): The Tigers aren’t the same team that started the season. And the main reason for that is freshman phenom Sharife Cooper, who was finally ruled eligible to play this season. He’s only played five games, but Auburn looks like a completely different team with the projected first round NBA pick. Auburn is on a self-imposed postseason ban and fresh off putting up 109 points against South Carolina. KenPom ranks them No. 58.
About No. 12 Missouri (10-2, 4-2 SEC): The Tigers are flying high and on a three-game winning streak. They’re fresh off a road win against Tennessee and putting things together with a deep roster. The guard play has fluctuated based on who’s hot, but Mark Smith, Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson have all had their moments throughout conference play. Mix in forward Jeremiah Tilmon, who’s playing some of the best basketball of his life, and the Tigers are vying for the top of the SEC. KenPom ranks them No. 32.
Prediction: There are two versions of this Auburn team: one without Cooper and one with Cooper. The offense has changed with the electric freshman leading the way. While Auburn as a team has had some bumps after losing a ton of production from last year, this season’s version has flashed some explosive ability on offense. Look out for Cooper’s court vision and his ability to get his Tigers running in transition.
Auburn’s going to look to pick up the pace — and that could play well into Mizzou’s hands. The Tigers needed to speed it up against South Carolina then faced a stout defensive team in Tennessee. MU coach Cuonzo Martin’s squad has looked to run in bursts this season. Mizzou will look to exploit any bits it can against Auburn in the transition game.
Look out for Auburn’s shot-blocking ability, one of the best teams in the nation in that category. Auburn has made a healthy amount of its twos, though the Tigers take threes at a high rate.
We’ll say there will some healthy dose of scoring. Auburn’s three-point shooting is hit or miss, and Bruce Pearl’s Tigers will hit some threes to keep the game close. But Mizzou ends up the winner as Pinson continues his high-scoring ways — especially when he’s able to run.
Missouri 82, Auburn 75