Utah State vs. Missouri Prediction & Odds
Number ten seed Utah State and #7 seed Missouri head to Sacramento to face each other at 1:40 PM ET Thursday afternoon on TNT in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Can the Tigers cover the 1.5-point spread as neutral-site underdogs?
Utah State is 26-8 on the year with their best wins coming over Nevada and Boise State. Their worst losses came against Weber State and San Jose State. The Aggies are 21-12 against the spread this season.
Missouri is 24-9 this season with their best wins coming over Iowa State and Tennessee. Their worst losses came against Florida and Mississippi State. The Tigers are 16-16-1 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
761 Utah State Aggies (-1.5) vs. 762 Missouri Tigers (+1.5); O/U 155.5
1:40 PM ET, Thursday, March 16, 2023
Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Utah State vs. Missouri Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Tigers in this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 55% of public bets are on Missouri +1.5. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Utah State Game Notes
Utah State’s best player is junior guard Steven Ashworth. Ashworth leads the Aggies in scoring (16.3 points per game), assists (4.5 per game), steals (1.2 per game), and three-pointers (3.2 per game). He’s scored at least 13 points in 15 of his last 17 games and will likely have to do so again for Utah State to win and cover on Thursday.
The Aggies’ leading rebounder is senior forward Dan Akin. The London native is pulling down 6.9 rebounds per game for Utah State on the campaign. He’s also scoring 12 points per game on an efficient field goal percentage of 66.7% this season. His interior presence could be key on Thursday.
Missouri Game Notes
Missouri’s leading scorer Kobe Brown played in the Tigers’ game against Alabama on March 11 but has apparently come down with an illness since then. His status for Thursday’s game is currently unknown due to said illness. Brown is averaging 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 29.3 minutes per contest for Mizzou this year.
If Brown can’t play or is limited, Missouri will likely turn to senior guard D’Moi Hodge. Hodge is averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game for the Tigers this season. He leads the club with 95 made three-pointers and is shooting an exceptional 40.1% from deep this year. He may need to pick up the slack on offense for the Tigers to cover on Thursday.
Utah State vs. Missouri CBB Betting Trends
Utah State is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games.
Missouri is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
The over is 15-3 in Missouri’s last 18 NCAA Tournament games.
The over is 8-2 in Missouri’s last 10 neutral site games.
Utah State vs. Missouri CBB Prediction:
The big story of this game will be the status of Missouri guard Kobe Brown. His status is worth monitoring up to game time as he leads the Tigers in both scoring and rebounding. But even if he can’t play, I think Missouri has enough backcourt depth to make up for it. The Tigers have four guards besides Kobe Brown who average 8 points or more. Three of those guards shoot better than 45% from the field.
As for Utah State, they have one win over a Power-5 school this season. They beat 17-17 Washington State on Christmas Day. The Aggies rank 145th in the country in turnovers per game, and they’re facing a Missouri team that’s second in the nation in steals per game. I think Missouri’s superior athleticism propels them to an outright win over Utah State.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: MISSOURI TIGERS +1.5
