NCAA Basketball Free Pick – Saturday, January 15, 2011
 |
vs.
|
 |
(15) Missouri (15-2, 1-1) at (14) Texas A&M (15-1, 2-0)
Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 1:00 PM EST on ESPN2
Money Line: -110
Spread: Texas A&M -4.5
Over/Under: 160
Mizzou head coach Mike Anderson will attempt to reverse his misfortune when his No. 15 Tigers pull into the Reed Center in College Station, Texas on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers’ are 0-4 against the No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies under Anderson, the only Big 12 team they haven’t beaten. The Tigers hasn’t registered a win over their Big 12 rival since the 2003-04 Big 12 Tournament in Dallas while Missouri’s last win in College Station was Feb. 17, 2001, by a 97-90 margin.
Now is as good a time as any as Missouri has won 10 of its last 11, and are 1-1 vs. top 25 teams this season, beating Illinois and losing in OT to Georgetown, both on neutral courts. They are also 4-1 vs. teams either ranked or receiving votes in the Top 25 at the time of the contest.
However, they are still looking for their first road win over a Top 25 team since Feb. 4, 2009, at then-No.16 Texas. The Tigers have a pair of in-conference road wins vs. Top 25 teams under Anderson’s watch, winning at No. 18 Oklahoma State (75-64) on Feb. 17, 2007 as well. Overall in the Anderson’s Tigers has wins vs. five Top 25 teams away from home, with a pair of those wins coming in the 2009 NCAA Tournament vs. No. 23 Marquette and No. 2 Memphis.
heck out the latest College Basketball Odds here.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M will be looking to extend its 12 game win streak, with its only loss coming back in November in a two-point loss to Boston College in the Old Spice Classic.
In losing Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis to expired eligibility this offseason, many people expected a decent-sized drop-off from A&M in 2010-11. Instead, the Aggies redefined themselves and have come on early and strong this year.
The team is big and athletic, with six of their top 7-8 contributors measuring 6’6 or taller. They disrupt every shot you take, and they rebound the ball well while still possessing a decent ability to shoot from the outside, which could be an issue against a small-guard Missouri team that has had trouble with good shooters shooting over them.
A&M does have one specific weakness Mizzou absolutely must exploit if they are to win — they turn the ball over a lot. They rank 196th in offensive turnover percentage.
MU has lost six consecutive to the Aggies overall. Last year, the Aggies won 77-74. In four years, the Texas A&M record against Missouri is 4-0, including 2-0 at home.
The Tigers will have their work cut out for them for sure in this one as A&M ranks 13th in defensive 3-points percentage and 41st in defensive 2-point percentage. Combine that with the fact that they rank 11th in Defensive Rebounding, and you can see how they win games.
The odds makers have the Texas A&M Aggies as a -4.5 point favorite with an over/under of 160.
Free Pick: Texas A&M 82, Missouri 76
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
Missouri Tigers Betting Trends:
- Missouri is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Missouri is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Missouri’s last 10 games on the road
- Missouri is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies Betting Trends:
- Texas A&M is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- Texas A&M is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- Texas A&M is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Missouri
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas A&M’s last 6 games when playing Missouri
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.