Kansas vs Missouri Betting – Tigers aim to take advantage of unmotivated Jayhawks
NCAA basketball odds: Pick Missouri
Kansas is one of the online betting favorites for the NCAA Tournament, and a win over one of their rivals on senior night gave them a bye in the Big 12 tournament. Meanwhile, Missouri is still fighting for a bye, and a win over the Jayhawks would go a long way. The two meet at Mizzou Arena on Saturday, and after the beating they took in Lawrence, the Tigers will be out for blood.
- What: NCAA Betting
- When: Saturday, March 6, 2:00 PM ET
- Where: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, MO
- KeyStats: has lost three of their last five at Missouri
The Storyline: Kansas vs Missouri Betting Odds
The No.2 Jayhawks (28-2, 14-1) gave Sherron Collins a win in his last game at Allen Fieldhouse, romping to an 82-65 win over Kansas State to wrap up the Big 12 regular-season crown, and that was their 59th straight win at “The Phog”. The Tigers (22-8, 10-5) edged out Iowa State 69-67 in overtime on the road, and Mizzou doesn’t get the credit they deserve. The Tigers were ran out of “The Phog” on January 25th in an 84-65 loss, and this basketball edition of the “Border War” figures to be much closer.
Offensive Matchups: Kansas vs Missouri Betting Odds
Collins is the heart and soul of the Kansas offense, but freshman Xavier Henry has really come on as of late. Henry has averaged 18.0 points over his last seven games, and we’re excited to see what he does next year, that is, if he stays in school as he’s being projected as a lottery pick by some mock drafts. The Jayhawks should be getting more touches for Cole Aldrich, who didn’t do much against Kansas State, but he had his best offensive surge in the second half, and that gave him a boost at the other end of the floor.
The Tigers are small and they’re a perimeter-oriented team, led by Kim English and Marcus Denmon. Don’t let their 4-of-19 performance from beyond the arc fool you: Mizzou can really shoot the basketball. The problem is, what happens when those shots aren’t falling against good teams? You can get away with 4-of-19 against Iowa State, but not against Kansas.
Betting Edge: Kansas
Defensive Matchups: Kansas vs Missouri Betting Odds
Aldrich had three blocks against Kansas State, and he’s been a beast in the post for the Jayhawks since he stepped on campus three years ago. Like we said above, he gets more into the game when he gets offensive touches, but just having Aldrich on the floor changes the way people play against Kansas, who are also one of the best rebounding teams in the league.
Mike Anderson is out to prove that last year’s 31-win season and trip to the Elite Eight was no fluke, and he’s doing it with the same formula: speed. The Tigers like to push the pace, and their shooters can be deadly. There’s a reason that Georgia was ready to break the bank for Anderson, who is insanely underrated.
Betting Edge: Kansas (slightly)
Betting Prediction: Kansas vs Missouri Betting Odds
The Tigers should be favored at home, where they are 16-1 this year. Self is 3-3 at Mizzou Arena since coming to Kansas, and last year’s trip ended in a 62-60 loss for the Jayhawks, who may be in for a letdown this weekend. Kansas won the Big 12 regular-season title, and they clinched the top seed in the conference tournament, and it was an emotional senior night for Collins, who has won a Kansas-record 125 games. The Tigers were looking ahead to Kansas at Iowa State, but snapped out of it, and they’ll be ready. Kansas doesn’t have much to play for, even though it’s a rivalry, and that’s why Mizzou is the play on Saturday.
Washington's Pick: Missouri
Watch out for Washington’s sports betting picks each week in the Betting Edge at BetOnline.
