Utah State vs. Missouri Pick 3/16/23

The first Thursday of the 2023 NCAA tournament features an interesting matchup between a power conference team and a mid-major conference program. The Utah State Aggies and Missouri Tigers will play in Sacramento with a second-round trip in the South Region at stake. With a likely clash with Arizona awaiting the victor, this game between Utah State and Missouri presents a huge opportunity for the team capable of snatching victory from their opponent.

Utah State vs Missouri betting tip

This game will be played at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 1:40 PM ET.

Why bet on the state of Utah:

✅ Both teams are exceptional offensively and are in the top 20 for offensive efficiency at Kenpom. But Missouri’s defense is a big concern as it ranks over 100 spots down on that metric, which will give Utah State the upper hand.

✅ Utah State almost won the Mountain West title, losing an incredibly close game to a San Diego State team. The Aggies were the better team for much of the first half of this game and they will drive high in this first round contest.

✅ This game’s location benefits the state of Utah as Sacramento is much closer to Utah than Missouri. Additionally, Arizona fans in attendance will be cheering on the bottom seed of a smaller conference.

Utah State Aggies: climax at the right time?

The Utah State Aggies lost in Saturday’s Mountain West Tournament Finals, losing a five-point game to the San Diego State Aztecs. But it was a big week for the 10th seed in the South Region in Las Vegas as they defeated New Mexico and Boise State to advance to the MWC title game. Now the Aggies will be looking to continue their run of solid play to advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament.

For Utah State, a more well-rounded team could set them apart against Missouri in this contest. While both teams have great offense, Utah State is the only team in this game that defends relatively consistently at a high level.

Missouri Tigers: Can Kobe lead them to a first-round win?

The Missouri Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the SEC tournament and were competitive against Alabama for much of that semifinal. But the NCAA tournament number one overall pick retired from Missouri in the second half, knocking the Tigers out of the conference tournament. Now Missouri is tasked with regrouping to try and beat a Utah State team that has flown under the radar for most of the season.

If Missouri is going to progress in this game, Kobe Brown needs to continue leading the Tigers. Brown leads Missouri in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He’s shot 55.2% from the field again this year, and that efficiency will be a must if Missouri is to get past the Aggies.