Missouri at Vanderbilt
Time: 7 PM, Jan 16, 2014
Spread: MIS -2
Total: 132
Betting odds courtesy of Bovada
The Missouri Tigers are 13-2 on the season and 1-1 in SEC play and will enter tonight’s contest on the road at Vanderbilt as 2-point favorites according to college basketball oddsmakers at Bovada.
The Tigers have lost just to Illinois and Georgia this season, and the team knocked off Auburn 70-68 on Jan 11 in its last game. The Tigers have been very strong on the interior, ranking 27th in the nation in rebounding (39.6 rebounds per game), and the team has been efficient from the field (47.1 percent).
6’5″ junior guard Jordan Clarkson has done it all for the Tigers. He averages 18.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists and he’s scored 20 or more in three of the past five games. In the loss to Illinois, Clarkson played very well, hitting 8-of-13 from the floor en route to 25 points while also dishing out eight assists and grabbing six rebounds.
Jabari Brown is also having a nice season for Missouri. He’s second on the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and he shoots 41.1 percent from three-point range. He’s scored in double figures in every single game this season and is averaging 18.6 points per game over his last three.
Vanderbilt is 8-6 on the season and enters on a two game skid. The team lost 68-63 to Alabama on Jan 7 and followed that with a 71-62 loss to Kentucky. The schedule has not been kind, and most of Vandy’s victories have come against vastly inferior programs.
Eric McClellan leads the Commodores in scoring with 14.3 points per game and he ranks second in assists with 3.2 per game. 6’9″ senior forward Rob Odom may be the best player though. Odom averages 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while playing 34 minutes per game. He’s improved a lot in his four years at Vandy and this is his chance to go out on a high note after becoming a starter last year as a junior and struggling badly (36.5 percent field goal percentage).
Missouri Trends: UNDER 13-3 in last 16 overall; OVER 7-2 in last 9 Thursday games; 4-9 ATS in last 13 road games.
Vanderbilt Trends: 7-2 ATS in last 9 Thursday games; UNDER 18-7-2 in last 27 home games; UNDER 35-15-2 in last 52 overall.
