Missouri Tigers vs Saint Louis Billikens Point Spread Picks

Missouri scored 111 against Cleveland State, more than it scored in any game last season, while shooting 61% and committing four turnovers. Saint Louis shot 60% in a 92-67 win over Lehigh. The two openers finished with combined scores of 161 and 159 points, and both shooting nights came against opponents that shot 32% and 36%. Missouri started a lineup with four players standing 6-foot-9 or taller, blocked eight shots and out-rebounded Cleveland State 43-29. Saint Louis scored 50 of its 92 points in the paint against Lehigh, and it now runs into a front line built to take that away. Robbie Avila, the 6-foot-10 reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, was cleared Thursday, and the extent of his minutes is unknown. Saint Louis went 29-6 last season. Missouri's bench outscored Cleveland State 41-14, with Kennard Davis Jr. and Jamier Jones combining for 32 points in reserve roles, so the Tigers can keep fresh length on the floor while the Billikens search for paint points. Missouri also forced 14 turnovers and turned them into 23 points, and it gave the ball away only four times itself. Take Missouri on the spread and the UNDER tonight, because I see a front line this size as a poor matchup for an offense that lives in the paint.