The Missouri Tigers are back in the NCAA Tournament after quite a turnaround from a season ago. After being the worst team in the SEC last season, the Tigers went to work in the offseason under head coach Dennis Gates, the Tigers have come roaring back in the college basketball world.
After going winless in the SEC last season, the Tigers finished sixth in a very competitive conference, a conference that had a record-breaking 14 teams make the NCAA Tournament.
Missouri, however, drew a tough matchup in the first round of the tournament, facing the Drake Bulldogs. Drake is a tough matchup with their ability to score and their movement on the court. Missouri just needs to go in and take care of business to avoid the upset in the first round.
How to watch No. 11 Drake vs. No. 6 Missouri in the NCAA Tournament Round 1
- Date: Thursday, March 20
- Time: 6:35 p.m. CT
- Channel: TruTV
- Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live I FuboTV
- Announcers: Tom McCarthy, Deb Antonelli, Steve Smith, and AJ Ross
No. 11 Drake vs. No. 6 Missouri NCAA Tournament Round 1 odds
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Drake: +6.5 (-115)
- Missouri: -6.5 (-105)
Moneyline
- Drake: +215
- Missouri: -265
Total
- O/U 132.5 (-114/-106)
No. 11 Drake vs. No. 6 Missouri NCAA Tournament Round 1 prediction
This is going to be a tough matchup for the Mizzou Tigers. Drake is coming in as a hot team with Ben McCollum at the helm in just his first season with the Bulldogs. A lot of people are picking this game as an upset possibility with how the Bulldogs are playing right now.
However, Missouri has flown under the radar this season, being a part of a dominated SEC, but don't count the Tigers out just yet. This team was 22-11 this season, and although they struggled late in the season, they are still a force to be reckoned with.
Missouri star Mark Mitchell will be the one to watch today, averaging 14.1 points per game, but Josh Gray is going to have to work on the board with his 5.3 rebounds per game average. This is going to be a tough game for Missouri, but they should be able to pull off the narrow victory.