The Missouri Tigers (9-9) head to No. 14 West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers (15-3) in a game that has the potential to be low-scoring. The game starts at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25, 2020, and will air on ESPN.
Missouri Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Free Prediction
In the Tigers’ last contest, they were defeated by the Texas A&M Aggies, 66-64. Texas A&M’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over Missouri. The Aggies had a rate of 0.521 (above their season average of 0.449), while the Tigers posted a mark of 0.390 (below their season average of 0.489). Missouri’s Dru Smith had a solid outing, putting up 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Mountaineers easily got past the Texas Longhorns in their last matchup, 97-59. The Mountaineers, who came into the game averaging an offensive rebounding percentage of 38.8, had an absurd mark of 56.1 and had a turnover percentage of 8.7 (better than their season average of 18.3). With 13 points and 11 rebounds, West Virginia’s Oscar Tshiebwe had a solid performance.
Baskets could be hard to come by as a pair of the nation’s best defenses battle. West Virginia currently ranks fifth in defensive efficiency (85.9) and Missouri is 55th (93.1). Ball security 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 country (opponents’ turnover percentage of 22.4 percent).
Missouri at West Virginia Pick
Free Pick:ย ATS Winner – West Virginia, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
West Virginia ranks sixth in rebounds per game (41.9) while Missouri ranks 192nd (34.8).
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).
The Mountaineers rank 37th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Tigers rank 103rd (3.4).
West Virginia allows the seventh-fewest assists per game (9.2) while Missouri ranks 41st (10.5).
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.
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).
