Two evenly matched South Eastern Conference opponents will square off on Valentine's Day for a battle of the big cats. The Missouri Tigers (19-6) will make the road trip to face the Auburn Tigers (17-8). Both teams are in the hunt for the SEC standings and will determine which Tiger reigns supreme in this one. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Missouri-Auburn prediction and pick.
The Missouri Tigers have been one of the surprises of this season and have bounced in and out of the top-25 for most of the year. They're on a streak in which they've won six of their last eight games, the most notable in their last time out against No. 6 Tennessee. With a fairly light schedule for the rest of the season, the Tigers will hope to win-out and make a big move in the tournament seeding. Their path starts tonight as underdogs against Auburn.
The Auburn Tigers sit at fifth-place in the SEC standings and are tied with their opponent tonight. A win over Missouri would leap-frog Auburn into fourth place where they can continue to move closer to the top. They're not playing great right now and have dropped five of their last six games. They played Alabama and Tennessee in that stretch and will have to face both in their final two games of the season. It'll be a tough road for the Tigers to get back to winning, so they'll want to get it started ASAP with a win over Missouri tonight.
Here are the Missouri-Auburn college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Missouri-Auburn Odds
Missouri: +6.5 (-110)
Auburn: -6.5 (-110)
Over: 151.5 (-110)
Under: 151.5 (-110)
How To Watch Missouri vs. Auburn
TV: ESPN 2
Stream: ESPN App, fuboTV
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Missouri Could Cover The Spread
Missouri has been a fun team to watch all year and look to be a dangerous team as we head into March. They have a talented and athletic roster highlighted by guard Kobe Brown who leads his team with 16 PPG. They play as a unit and have great assist totals as a collective, averaging over 17 a game. They pass the ball much more than their opponents tonight and will have to continue doing so if they want to penetrate the tough Auburn defense. They'll be at a heavy disadvantage in the rebounding department against their opponents, but will hope that their hot shooting can carry them in this game.
Missouri has been decent against the spread this season going 14-11. Of those games, they've gone 4-3 ATS as the away team. Missouri certainly prefers to play at home as many of their road losses tend to be blowouts. They match up fairly well against Auburn in the statistical categories but will be the slightly smaller team in term of their players. Missouri will have to play with high energy and pace to catch this Auburn team off guard early.
Why Auburn Could Cover The Spread
Auburn looked like a lock to finish the season in the top-25 but after their recent skid, they're now fighting for a tournament spot. They've lost three close games in a row and are coming off of a loss to their biggest rival on their home court. The Tigers will have a big advantage over Missouri down low with the play of Johni Broome. The 6'10” Sophomore is averaging over three blocks a game at home and continues to be a presence on both ends. Auburn will want to lean on him along with the play of Wendell Green Jr. if they want to cover this spread against Missouri.
The Tigers are 11-2 SU at home but have only gone 5-8 ATS. Their totals have been flying over as they often find themselves in shootout games, but haven't been able to convert many of them into wins. Auburn will have to get back to its roots defensively and avoid any momentum swings for Missouri. They'll be aided by their loud home fans in this one.
Final Missouri-Auburn Prediction & Pick
Auburn seems to be like the clear pick in the eyes of the odds makers. They probably see the issues in the matchups for Missouri and think that Auburn will thrive in buckets down low. Still, I think think Missouri team is absolutely reeling after beating Tennessee in Rocky Top, while Auburn seems to have lost their touch as of late. While I think they have the advantage, I like the Missouri Tigers to cover with the prediction.
Final Missouri-Auburn Prediction & Pick: Missouri Tigers +6.5 (-110)
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