The #12 Missouri Tigers (10-2, 4-2 SEC) takes on the Auburn Tigers (9-7, 3-5 SEC) in a Southeastern Conference showdown on Tuesday night. Tuesday night’s contest marks the 13th meeting between these two schools, with Auburn trying to win its fourth-straight against Missouri at home. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. EST inside Auburn Arena in Auburn, AL. Auburn is a 2-point favorite against Missouri, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Missouri Tigers
Missouri is riding high entering the week after downing the sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, 73-64, in Knoxville. The Tigers’ victory at UT was their fourth of the season and third against a top 25 ranked opponent.
Mizzou pours in 72.4 points offensively and surrenders 66.4 points per game defensively. The Tigers feature a balanced scoring attack with four starters averaging in double figures.
Xavier Pinson leads Mizzou averaging 14.1 points per game. Pinson also leads the team in assists with 39 this season. The junior guard scored a season-high 27 points in the Tigers’ victory over the Vols on Saturday.
Dru Smith (12.6 ppg), Jeremiah Tilmon (11.8 ppg), and Mark Smith (11.2 ppg) bring additional scoring to the Mizzou offense. All three have been the Tigers leading scorer in a game at least once this season.
The Tigers are 8-4 against the spread this year with a 4-1 mark on the road. Missouri is just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against Auburn.
What to Know – Auburn Tigers
Auburn is 3-1 over their last four games after suffering a four-game skid from late December through early January. The Tigers’ lone loss during the last four contests was a two-point defeat to the Arkansas Razorbacks on the road. Auburn has won seven of their last nine games against teams in the top 25.
The Tigers average 78.2 points while allowing opponents to score 73.8 points per game. AU erupted for a season-high 109 points in their win over South Carolina on Saturday, hitting the century mark for the first time this season. Auburn is one of two teams that lead the nation in blocks (92) this season.
Freshman Sharif Cooper leads the Tigers offense scoring 21.2 points per game. The guard is one of three freshmen in the country to have scored over 25 points in three contests this year. Like Mizzou, Auburn rolls out a balanced offense that seven players are averaging over 8.1 points per game.
Auburn 7-7-2 ATS this season but are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games. The Tigers are 3-2-2 ATS in home games and 4-3-1 in games against conference opponents.
The Pick is In
Auburn has seemed to have found its footing over the last couple of weeks and looks to be playing solid basketball at the right time. AU is one of the youngest teams in the country, and it took some time for the young guys to figure out how to play together. Mizzou has also played well as of late, winning four of their last five and sit in second place in the SEC. Missouri will carry their momentum over for their thrilling win over Tennessee on Saturday and knock off another conference foe on the road.
