Missouri will try to pick up its fourth win of the season when it hosts Temple on Tuesday night.
The Tigers went 2-1 at the Paradise Jam last week, scoring wins over Kennesaw State and Oregon State before losing to Kansas State in the championship game.
Meanwhile, Temple is off to a 5-1 start with its most recent win coming against Cal.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this matchup.
Game Details
- Missouri (3-2) vs. Temple (5-1)
- Location: Mizzou Arena – Columbia, MO
- Game Date: Nov. 27
- Game Time: 9 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network
Players to Watch
Jeremiah Tilmon (Missouri)
Tilmon saw limited minutes in the Kansas State and Oregon State games due to foul trouble, which was obviously a common theme for him during the ’17-18 season.
He is currently averaging 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds to go along with 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
Tilmon can certainly be a game-changer for the Tigers, so it’s essential that he stay on the court against these types of opponents.
Shizz Alson Jr. (Temple)
The 6-4 senior is off to another fantastic start this season, as he’s currently posting 17.8 points and 5.7 assists while playing 36.0 minutes per game.
He and Quinton Rose (17.3 ppg) form quite a duo for the Owls, and they’ll have an opportunity to showcase their skills against a Missouri team that’s still searching for consistency on the perimeter.
Key Stats
Both teams rank in the top 70 in defensive efficiency, so this figures to be a grind-it-out type of matchup due to the methodical styles on both sides of the court.
Of course, they’re also each facing their own struggles on the offense, as Temple ranks 222nd nationally in effective field-goal percentage (49.1 percent) while Missouri ranks 251st in that category (47.7 percent).
What could decide this game is the Owls’ ability to force Missouri into making a lot of mistakes, with Fran Dunphy’s squad sitting at 32nd nationally in forced turnovers with 17.6 per game.
On the flip side, the Tigers are 218th nationally in committing 14.4 turnovers per contest.
Game Outlook
- Spread: Missouri -2
- Over/Under: 134
- KenPom Projection: Missouri, 63 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Missouri, 61.1 percent chance to win
This is undoubtedly a game that could go either way based on what we’ve seen from these two teams thus far.
Considering that Missouri point guard Jordan Geist has been dealing with a back injury (but is still expected to play), there are some unknowns for the Tigers in the backcourt.
That’s not exactly ideal going up against a Temple backcourt that’s led by a talented playmaker in Alston and a versatile scorer in Rose.
Despite the wins in the Virgin Islands, Missouri is still a team that’s going to run into consistency issues throughout the season.
I’ll lean towards Temple to grab the huge road win, but this isn’t a high-confidence pick at all.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 61-14
Game Prediction: Temple 65, Missouri 64
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.