College Basketball Odds and Picks: Missouri Tigers vs Baylor Bears
Saturday, January 21, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
In the biggest game on a busy Saturday in college hoops, No. 5 Missouri Tigers travels to Waco, Texas, to square off with third-ranked Baylor Bears.
Both teams sport identical 17-1 overall records and 4-1 marks in Big 12 play, and both will want a victory to keep pace with 5-0 Kansas atop the conference standings.
The Tigers — who regularly utilize a four-guard lineup — feature one of the nation's top backcourts and are third nationally in scoring at 83.1 points per game.
The Bears are built more from the inside out, with five regular contributors listed at 6-7 or taller.
- Missouri Tigers @ Baylor Bears
When: 2:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 21, 2012
Where: The Ferrell Center, Waco, Texas
TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
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Justbet Sportsbook currently have the Baylor listed as 5-point favorites versus the Tigers.
Missouri Tigers (17-1): Senior Ricardo Ratliffe has shot 70 percent or better in nine straight games and leads the nation at 77.1 percent shooting, but he'll have his work cut out for him dealing with all of Baylor's length inside. Ratliffe, a 6-8 forward, and Steve Moore, a 6-9 backup post player, are the only players in Missouri's regular rotation that are taller than 6-6. The Tigers' guards — led by Marcus Denmon (17.8 points per game) and Phil Pressey (5.9 assists per game) — will have to open up the Baylor defense with both outside shooting and dribble penetration.
Baylor Bears (17-1): The Bears started the season with a school-record 17-game winning streak, but everything unraveled for them in a 92-74 loss at Kansas on Monday. Baylor gave up 53 second-half points and allowed the Jayhawks to shoot 57 percent on field goals, many of which came on dunks or alley-oops. The Bears' obvious strength is in the interior, where they lead the conference in blocked shots (6.33 per game) and are second in field-goal percentage (.489). Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller — two big NBA draft prospects — average a combined 26.2 points and 12.6 rebounds.
1. Missouri junior Michael Dixon (12.6 points per game) has led the team in scoring four times this season despite having zero starts.
2. The is the first Top 5 matchup in the Big 12 not featuring Texas or Kansas.
3. Baylor has never played in a Top 5 matchup, but the Tigers are 2-2 all-time in such games, including 1-1 on the road.
BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Bears 78, Tigers 72.
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baylor bears - marcus denmon - michael dixon - missouri tigers - perry jones iii - phil pressey - ricardo ratliffe - steve moore - the ferrell center