It will be a showdown between two stifling defenses when the 14th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (15-3) clash with the Missouri Tigers (9-9) at WVU Coliseum. The game can be seen on ESPN at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25, 2020.
Missouri Tigers at West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Odds
In their last contest, the Mountaineers dismantled the Texas Longhorns, 97-59, while the Tigers lost a winnable game to the Texas A&M Aggies, 66-64.
West Virginia dominated every stat category in the game. They had an extraordinary offensive rebounding percentage of 56.1 (above their season average of 38.8) and a turnover percentage of 8.7 (better than their season average of 18.3). For those same stats, Texas was 18.9 and 23.1, respectively. Missouri, on the other hand, did a great job of getting to and converting from the charity stripe (25-26; 96.2 percent). West Virginia was led by Oscar Tshiebwe, who contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds. Dru Smith, meanwhile played well for Missouri, recording 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Baskets could be hard to come by as two of the NCAA’s top defenses face off. West Virginia currently ranks fifth in defensive efficiency (85.9) and Missouri is 55th (93.1). Ball protection could be troublesome for the Tigers. They rank 303rd at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 21.4 percent), while the Mountaineers force the 54th-most turnovers in the NCAA (opponents’ turnover percentage of 22.4 percent).
Missouri Tigers at West Virginia Mountaineers ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – West Virginia, ATS Winner – West Virginia, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- West Virginia ranks sixth in rebounds per game (41.9) while Missouri ranks 192nd (34.8).
- The Mountaineers rank 37th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Tigers rank 103rd (3.4).
- West Virginia is seventh in the NCAA with 9.2 assists allowed per game while Missouri is 41st with 10.5 assists allowed per game.
- The Tigers rank 107th in three pointers attempted per game (23.3) while the Mountaineers rank 260th (17.9).
- Missouri ranks 69th in steals per game (7.6) while West Virginia ranks 185th in steals allowed per game (7.7).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Mountaineers have scored an average of 73.4 points per game (0.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 57.4 points per game (3.2 below their season average).
- The Tigers have been outscored by an average of 7.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Missouri has defeated opponents by an average of 5.5 points.
