Big 12 tournament champion Missouri faces off with MEAC tournament champion Norfolk State in the West Regional 2-vs.-15 game Friday afternoon and the OVER could be the best bet of the day.
The Tigers are favored by a healthy 21.5 points over the Spartans and for good reason. Missouri is 8-2 ATS in its past 10 games overall against very tough Big 12 competition.
Totals bettors find a couple of cool trends as well (OVER is 11-2-1 past 14 tournament games for Mizzou and they have played 9 straight OVERs overall).
This game is being played at a neutral-site court (CenturyLink Center).
This season, the Tigers are 30-4 overall and 19-9-1 ATS ATS, while the Spartans are 25-9 and 5-1 ATS against the number. As for the totals, Missouri boasts a 19-9-1 on the OU, and Norfolk State is 2-4.
View Norfolk State vs Missouri Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The Spartans are listed as 22-point underdogs at many online sportsbooks (meaning the best underdog line could possibly be at Sportsbook).
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Tigers - Spartans odds would favor the Spartans if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Missouri is rated No. 150 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Norfolk State is at No. 103. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 85-73 win for the Tigers.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Missouri's No. 6-ranked offense, averaging 80.3 PPG, against a Spartans defense that ranks No. 148 at 66.1 PPG. The Tigers field goal percentage has averaged 50.4% so far, more than the Spartans marksmen have achieved on the year, 44.3% per game.
Defensively, Norfolk State features the nation's No. 172-rated defense on the road, allowing 69.5 points per game. Missouri, meanwhile, comes in at No. 11 nationally in scoring at home.
Last time out for Norfolk State, they were a 73-70 Sportsbook as they battled Bethune-Cookman at home. They failed to cover in the match as a 4.5-point favorite. The Spartans grabbed a 73-70 win over the Wildcats on Saturday, behind an 18 -point effort from Kyle O'Quinn at Joel Coliseum.
Last time out for Missouri, they were a 90-75 Sportsbook as they battled Baylor at home. They covered in the match as a 4-point favorite. Missouri earned a 90-75 victory over Baylor on Saturday, getting 19 points from Kim English at Sprint Center.
Missouri Tigers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
After playing Baylor are 8-2
After a win are 9-1
A few Spartans at Tigers trends to consider:
Missouri is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Missouri's last 5 games
