Gators eager to chomp down on Tigers
Somewhat surprisingly, Missouri managed to avoid getting mauled in its recent bout vs. mighty South Carolina. But can Kim Anderson’s team hang with a potentially tougher SEC foe tonight?
The Tigers, who have dropped 12 straight since beating Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 6, visit Florida at 7 p.m. ET. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Gators odds of -3000 to handle their business at home. Conversely, Mizzou enters the Stephen C. O’Connell Center as a +2000 underdog.
As usual, MU didn’t shoot the ball well over the weekend. Thanks to a strong effort on the defensive end, though, Anderson’s troops stayed within striking distance of the Gamecocks. Sindarius Thornwell & Co. ultimately notched a 63-53 victory despite committing 14 turnovers. The Tigers took at least a little comfort in the 18-point, eight-rebound performance of Russell Woods.
Yet the senior forward will need considerably more help from his friends if Missouri intends to make things remotely interesting in Gainesville. Sophomore center Kevarrius Hayes leads a balanced Florida post attack, while guards KeVaughn Allen and Canyon Barry also hit double figures in scoring with regularity. Mike White’s program has averaged 95 points in the past two tilts, absolutely bulldozing league rivals LSU and Oklahoma in the process.
NCAA BB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Considering Mizzou’s 30-game losing streak on the road, well, we fail to see the seeds of a possible uprising here. Woods alone won’t be enough to counter the Gators’ Hayes-Devin Robinson tandem on the block. MU can’t seem to settle on a primary floor general, either, which spells disaster in a hostile environment like the Swamp.