Game Information
#15 Missouri Tigers (19-6, 8-4 SEC) vs #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (21-4, 10-2 SEC)
Time: 8pm CST Wednesday
How to watch: SEC Network
Betting Data
Consensus line: Alabama -1.5, opened Missouri -1.5
Consensus total: 171.5, opened 171.5
KenPom projection: Missouri 86, Alabama 85
Best line available for Alabama: Alabama +1.5 at -110 on BetMGM
Best line available for Missouri: Missouri +1.5 at -108 on FanDuel
Best over number available: Over 170.5 at -110 on FanDuel
Best under number available: Under 172 at -110 on Caesars
Top 15 Showdown in Columbia
The game of the night in college basketball on Wednesday sees the #4 Alabama Crimson Tide roll into Columbia to take on the #15 Missouri Tigers.
The Tigers are coming off comfortable wins last week over Oklahoma and Georgia, while the Tide saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end in a 94-85 home loss to #1 Auburn this past Saturday.
Alabama Plays Fast… Like Really Fast
Mizzou will have to be prepared to keep up with an Alabama team that plays at a faster tempo than any team in the country according to KenPom.
The Tide are the top scoring team in the nation at 90.3 points per game, but because they have so many possessions in their games, they also have the worst scoring defense in the SEC with 79.1 points per game allowed.
Considering Alabama’s chaotic pace combined with Missouri’s disruptive defense, the Tigers may be able to exploit one of the Tide’s few weaknesses - turnovers. Alabama has the worst turnover margin in the SEC.
Missouri Can Hang
The Tigers have shown they can beat some of the best teams in the country, and they should feel confident about their chances to win. Both teams shoot an identical 48.0% from the field, and Mizzou has the edge in three-point shooting at 37.1% from long distance compared to 33.9% for Alabama.
This game could also very well be decided at the free throw line. These are the top two teams in the SEC in free throw attempts, and Mizzou has the slight edge at 72.4% from the stripe with Alabama slightly worse at 71.5%.
My Lean
This is a really tough game to call, as I could see this one going a lot of different directions. If forced to make a pick, I would side with the early money coming in on Alabama. The Tide went from a 1.5 point underdog to a consensus 1.5 point favorite in less than an hour of the line opening.
Alabama shot 5-of-26 (19.2%) from 3-point range against Auburn, so I would expect that to correct itself here. And as good as the Tigers have been at home with a record of 16-1, the Tide are undefeated in SEC road games at 6-0.
Lean: Alabama ML -102 at BetMGM
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. Disclaimer