The No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers are coming off an embarrassing road loss, and they want a pick-me-up win to feel good about themselves again. Speaking of feeling good, that’s the current state of the No. 19 Missouri Tigers, who will look to get their third win in a row and avenge their earlier loss to the Vols. Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Missouri Tigers vs Tennessee Volunteers NCAA College Basketball Game on January 23 2021
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena
When: Saturday, January 23, 2021, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Missouri Tigers (odds) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (odds) – view all 2021 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: SEC NETWORK
Betting on the Missouri Tigers (odds)
Record: 9-2 Overall / 3-2 Conference
Thanks to a scorching hot offense, Mizzou got away with an 81-70 home win over the South Carolina Gamecocks on Jan. 19 — the Tigers’ second win in a row since getting back to action following an 11-day pause due to COVID-19. The Tigers shot 58.3 percent from the field against South Carolina, with Jeremiah Tilmon scoring 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Tillmon will look to duplicate that performance when the Tigers meet the Vols again. In Missouri’s 73-53 home loss to the Volunteers last December, the 6-10 Tilmon only had nine points and four rebounds, while Xavier Pinson led the Tigers with just 11 points. Missouri has shown that it’s capable of beating some of the top teams in the nation. The Tigers have wins over the Oregon Ducks and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Missouri is averaging 72.4 points per game and has one of the best defenses in the SEC. The Tigers are third in the conference in adjusted defensive efficiency, with opposing teams scoring just 91.8 points per 100 possessions.
Missouri is 3-1 against the spread in its last four games overall.
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers (odds)
Record: 10-2 Overall / 4-2 Conference
The Volunteers got clobbered by the Florida Gators on Jan. 19, as they suffered a 75-49 upset loss in Gainesville. Tennessee was out of sorts in that game, shooting just 29 percent from the floor and hitting only three of 18 shots from deep. Victor Bailey Jr., who entered the game as the Vols’ top scorer this season, ended up making just four points on a salty 1-of-12 shooting. Bailey and company will look to recover their shooting touch against Missouri, which they torched for 73 points on 50 percent shooting from the field back in December. Tennessee’s defense was on point in that game as well, as it forced Mizzou to commit 20 turnovers and shoot only 36.4 percent from the field. Tennessee’s defense is statistically among the best in the nation. The Vols are third overall with just 58.7 points allowed per game and 10th in opponents’ turnovers per play percentage (22.3%).
Tennessee is 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Tennessee wins, 70-60.
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