Illinois vs. Missouri Pick
Which rival will grab a win over the other when Illinois takes on Missouri tonight at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Missouri is favored in this game, as the Tigers are getting odds of -4 points against Illinois. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 148.5 points. These two will meet in the Bud Light Braggin’ Rights game from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The contest airs live on ESPN2.
Illinois is coming off a 74-69 loss to New Mexico State last weekend for its fifth loss in seven games. The Illini are now 8-5 on the season and 5-5 against the spread. They have failed to cover in three of their last four games. Illinois is putting up 81.4 points per game on offense while allowing 71.5 per game on defense. Leron Black is putting up 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game to lead the team while Michael Finke is adding 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.
Missouri is riding a five-game win streak right now, including an 82-81 win over Stephen F. Austin last weekend. The Tigers are 10-2 on the season. They have failed to cover in four of their last five games and are 6-5 against the spread on the season. Missouri is averaging 81.4 points per game on offense as well, but allowing just 66.6 points per game. Kassius Robertson is putting up 14.5 points per game to lead the team while Jordan Barnett is adding 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.
Illinois has won four straight meetings with Missouri and the Illini are 5-4-1 against the spread in the last 10 meetings. However, Illinois is still dealing with a new system and should be vulnerable for tonight’s game. Missouri should be playing with some confidence due to this win streak and eager to put an end to Illinois’ dominance over them. The public betting is heavily with Missouri tonight and I think the Tigers will make it work.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: MISSOURI -4