Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (1-4) vs. Missouri Tigers (4-2)
The 1-4 Loyola Maryland Greyhounds will try to pull off a big upset on Saturday when they battle the 4-2 Missouri Tigers on the road. A neutral site matchup, this provides a great opportunity for free NCAAB picks. The Loyola Maryland Greyhounds need major improvements on defense to be competitive. The Missouri Tigers boast a powerful offense But Missouri has struggled against the spread recently, unable to cover in five straight.
The Greyhounds have lost four of their last five games, including their last three. Their lone win came against Division III opponent Penn State Harrisburg. Loyola Maryland is scoring just 63.4 points per game while allowing 73.4. They will need to tighten things up defensively to have a chance in this matchup.
Missouri has split its last four games after starting the season 3-0. The Tigers are averaging 80 points per game behind a high-powered offense. However, they have struggled against the spread recently, failing to cover in their last five contests. Missouri’s defense has also been lacking, giving up over 78 points per contest.
Loyola Maryland Greyhounds vs. Missouri Tigers Game Info
| When: | Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 12:00 PM ET |
| Where: | MIzzou Arena |
| TV: | ESP+ |
| Stream: | Sofascore |
Deon Perry (Guard) vs. Sean East II (Guard)
Loyola Maryland guard Deon Perry is averaging 13.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this season. He is shooting 34.3% from the field and 29.4% from three. Perry’s quickness and ball handling ability allow him to penetrate opposing defenses. However, he struggles with efficiency and has more turnovers (17) than assists (19) on the year.
Missouri’s Sean East II is scoring 15.2 points to go along with 2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. He is shooting a blistering 61.4% from the field and 53.8% from beyond the arc. East excels as a catch and shoot threat thanks to his quick trigger and dead eye from distance. His defensive capabilities are questionable though.
When these two guards match up, expect East to mostly operate off ball while Perry tries to break down the Missouri defense. If East gets open looks from three, Loyola Maryland will struggle. On the other end, Perry must connect on twos and draw fouls to offset Missouri’s firepower.
NCAAB Odds/Point Spread: Missouri Tigers -4446, Total Odds: 136
Despite Loyola Maryland’s early season struggles, Missouri laying 18.5 points is a lot against a scrappy team. The Greyhounds should be able to keep this game relatively close. Taking Loyola and the points is the recommended play. The total also seems a tad high considering Missouri scores 80 points per game and Loyola 63. The under on 136 points holds some value.
Loyola Maryland Greyhounds Betting Trends
Loyola Maryland has posted a 2-3 against the spread (ATS) record so far this season. In the Greyhounds’ last 5 contests, 3 have gone over the projected point total. This indicates their games have been relatively high-scoring recently. In their lone previous road matchup, Loyola Maryland covered the 9-point spread in a loss against DePaul. So while they failed to win outright as underdogs, they did manage to play better than expected. Given the big spread in this Missouri game, the Greyhounds have a chance to once again outperform expectations. But based on their straight up record, pulling the outright upset seems unlikely.
Missouri Tigers Betting Trends
The Tigers have failed to cover the spread in their past 5 games and hold a disappointing 1-5 ATS record on the season. None of Missouri’s previous 5 contests squeaked over the projected total points line. And at home, only 1 of the Tigers’ 5 games has gone over the number expected by oddsmakers. This indicates that many of Missouri’s matchups, especially those in Mizzou Arena, have tended to be lower-scoring. Against a Loyola Maryland team that doesn’t score much, the under looks enticing in this spot. Bettors may also get some value backing the Tigers given their poor recent ATS performances. But Missouri has failed to reward its backers for much of the early campaign.
Loyola Maryland vs. Missouri 11/25/23 Betting Picks
Loyola Maryland faces a substantial challenge versus Missouri, there’s no doubt about it. However, catching almost 20 points in a game that projects to be played in the 130s is too much to pass up. Back the Greyhounds and the points while sprinkling a little on the under. For those interested in live betting, watch East’s performance early. If he misses his first few threes, expect Missouri to struggle to separate. That would present an opportunity to grab Loyola and even more points.
