Missouri Won’t Underestimate Princeton
The No. 15 Princeton Tigers pulled a massive upset over No. 2 Arizona on Thursday. It was arguably the biggest college basketball news headline of the first day of action.
Next up is a tricky matchup with the No. 7 seed Missouri Tigers. Will Missouri fall victim to Princeton in this all-Tigers matchup?
Missouri Rides Defense
Missouri didn’t allow anything easy against Utah State and that’s how it came away with a 76-65 win in their opener. No. 10 seed Utah State was a trendy pick to come away with the win, but Missouri was mostly in control.
Missouri forced 15 turnovers against the Aggies while also holding them to just 16.7 percent from 3-point range. Those who bet online saw that Utah State did hold a two-point lead into the second half, but it flipped around very quickly.
Missouri has three players on its roster that average over double digits in scoring. The Tigers also prefer to play smaller rather than larger. Their center is usually Kobe Brown or Noah Carter, both listed under 6-foot-8.
This team can be quite difficult to handle at the offensive end. If you’re making your college basketball picks here, note that Missouri is No. 9 in the KenPom.com Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. Princeton is out of the Top 100.
If this game becomes offense-oriented, Missouri will have the edge in the sportsbook.
Princeton Clamped Down When Needed
Princeton found themselves down by 12 points with 12 minutes left to go in the second half. All signs were pointing toward Arizona easing away with a victory.
However, Princeton locked up defensively late in the game and held Arizona without a single point for the final five minutes of regulation. This team very clearly has the ability to be great defensively when it finds a rhythm.
The challenge is we just don’t see that type of lock-down defense consistently enough from this team. According to KenPom.com, the Tigers are just 106th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, so this is not something they normally do all that well.
They do have a great offensive weapon at their disposal in Tosan Evbuomwan. Evbuomwan is a clear standout on this roster as he takes a shot on 24.8 percent of their team’s offensive possessions.
If you’re expecting Princeton to cover the March Madness odds here, you’ll be expecting a big game from Evbuomwan.
Missouri vs Princeton Game Injuries
Missouri vs Princeton Head-to-Head
We’ve yet to see these teams meet up this season.
Missouri vs Princeton Game Information
- Game: Missouri (25-9) vs Princeton (22-8)
- Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
- Day/Time: Saturday, 6:10 p.m. ET
- Missouri vs Princeton Live Stream: TBS.com
Missouri vs Princeton Betting Lines
Missouri vs Princeton Picks and Prediction
The sports betting odds makers have listed Missouri at -6½. Missouri has an elite offense and it’s not likely that Princeton slows them down. Missouri has been underrated all season long and it is here again.
Look for the Tigers from the SEC to win and cover, and head to the Sweet 16.
Missouri is listed at -275 in our Vegas lines. So, if you wager $100 on Missouri, there’s a chance to win $36. Princeton is +225 with a chance to win $225 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Missouri a 73.33% chance to win, with Princeton at 30.77%.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
Missouri vs Princeton Trends
Missouri vs Princeton Edge
Missouri vs Princeton Results
Missouri vs Princeton Game Summary
