Missouri Tigers basketball vs. Arkansas Razorbacks: Prediction, TV, bet line, lineups
THE DETAILS
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Missouri
TV: ESPN2
Betting line: Missouri by 1
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
P | No. | Arkansas | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 23 | Connon Vanover | 7-3 | R-So. | 7.7 |
F | 0 | Justin Smith | 6-7 | Gr. | 11.1 |
G | 11 | Jalen Tate | 6-6 | Gr. | 10.9 |
G | 5 | Moses Moody | 6-6 | Fr. | 16.3 |
G | 4 | Davonte Davis | 6-3 | Fr. | 6.6 |
P | No. | Missouri | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 23 | Jeremiah Tilmon | 6-10 | Sr. | 12.8 |
F | 24 | Kobe Brown | 6-7 | So. | 6.8 |
G | 13 | Mark Smith | 6-5 | Sr. | 10.1 |
G | 1 | Xavier Pinson | 6-2 | Jr. | 14.2 |
G | 12 | Dru Smith | 6-3 | Sr. | 14.2 |
PREDICTION
About Arkansas (15-5, 7-4 SEC): The Razorbacks are on a five-game SEC winning streak, digging themselves out of an early hole in conference play. They were missing forward Justin Smith to injury, their graduate transfer who does a little bit of everything. Smith is back now and has solidified an Arkansas squad the advanced stats favor. Expect Arkansas to keep up its pace and tempo once tipoff rolls around. KenPom ranks them No. 24.
About No. 10 Missouri (13-4, 6-4 SEC): The Tigers had won six of their last seven games, but were blown out last time by Ole Miss in a road loss. It was the worst defeat of the season, which was magnified when MU coach Cuonzo Martin said his team didn’t showcase enough energy. The Tigers have been led by MU guard Dru Smith, who has scored in double figures in nine straight games. They have yet to lose back-to-back games this season, always bouncing back from a setback. KenPom has them No. 40.
Prediction: Mizzou out-toughed and out-played Arkansas last time the teams met, which started from the interior. Mizzou forward Jeremiah Tilmon dominated the inside, scoring a career-high 25 points, along with 11 rebounds. It was an ugly game that saw the Hogs miss droves of layups, affected by the Mizzou defense. After the game, Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said their game plan was to limit MU guard Xavier Pinson from getting to the free throw line. That’s exactly what Pinson did, where he went 12 for 15.
Pinson and Tilmon are the two guys who posted quiet nights against Ole Miss, scoring six points each. Mizzou will need a lot more from two of its three leading scorers to win Saturday’s game.
Arkansas will still run up and down the court on offense, a consistent weapon under Musselman. The Hogs get back Justin Smith, who missed the first edition of the showdown. He’s a versatile player and should give Mizzou some trouble. Arkansas’ defense has been solid, while the offense could be a problem for Mizzou, which has struggled defensively of late.
We’ll say the Tigers get right back to it, feeding Tilmon down low — especially after how last game went. Mizzou will then match Arkansas’ pace, though there are some issues once the Hogs get up some shots. But we’ll say the Tigers hold off Arkansas down the stretch. And look, Mizzou doesn’t lose in Rally For Rhyan games. The Tigers are 5-0 for a reason.
Missouri 75, Arkansas 70