Missouri Tigers (18-6, 7-4 SEC) at Georgia Bulldogs (16-9, 4-8 SEC), 2:30pm Saturday
Spread: Missouri -2.5
Total: 145.5
KenPom projection: Missouri 73, Georgia 72
The #21 Missouri Tigers look to make it a perfect week when they head to Athens to face Georgia on Saturday.
Mizzou pounded Oklahoma 82-58 on Wednesday but will be challenged against a Georgia team that is 13-2 at home this season. The Bulldogs’ only home losses have come by two points to #1 Auburn and by one point to #22 Mississippi State.
It’s difficult to pick a winner in this game, so I think the best play is on the total.
Missouri should hold up well defensively, as Georgia has the fourth-worst offense in the SEC in points per game. The Tigers lead the conference in steals, and that bodes well for their chances to disrupt the Bulldogs’ offensive rhythm. Georgia gives the ball away a lot, ranking 307th in the country in turnovers committed.
Offensively, Mizzou likes to get to the rim and to the free throw line, but they might have a tough time in the paint on Saturday. Georgia allows the second fewest free throw attempts per game in the SEC, and they rank 11th in the country in blocked shots. The Bulldogs also have the 18th ranked three-point defense in the nation, as their opponents shoot just 29% from behind the arc.
Georgia games have finished 17-8 to the under this season, and when the Bulldogs are an underdog as it looks like they’ll be on Saturday, the under has gone a perfect 9-0.
Pick: Under 145.5
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Friday on the Sports Hub STL YouTube channel. Click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams.