Missouri Tigers vs LSU Tigers Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Missouri Tigers vs LSU Tigers

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA

TV: SEC Network

The Missouri Tigers (13-4) are hitting the road to Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Saturday where they will try to defeat the LSU Tigers (12-5).

The Missouri Tigers played Auburn and walked away with a win by a score of 84-74 in their last game. Missouri finished the contest having earned a 56.3% field goal percentage (27 of 48) and converted 9 of 19 shots from 3-point land. At the charity stripe, the Tigers made 21 of 31 tries for a percentage of 67.7%. In relation to pulling down rebounds, they compiled a total of 28 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 18 assists for the game while forcing 11 turnovers and earning 7 steals. Regarding the defense, Missouri allowed 40.7% from the floor on 24 of 59 shooting. Auburn earned 11 dimes and had 7 steals for the contest. Moreover, Auburn totaled 31 boards (14 offensive, 17 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Auburn went 71.4% from the charity stripe by knocking down 20 of 28 shots. They also made 6 out of their 21 attempts from long range. In relation to personal fouls, the Tigers walked away with 17 and Auburn finished the game with 19 personal fouls.

Mark Mitchell is someone who was a contributor in the matchup. He ended up walking away with 20 points on 7 of 9 shooting. He saw the court for 36 minutes and also snagged 8 boards. He finished 77.8% from the floor and totaled 7 dimes.

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Missouri comes into this game with a mark of 13-4 this year. They have an average of 81.8 points per game (90th in college hoops) while shooting 51.6% from the field. The Tigers are shooting 36.6% from downtown (132 of 361) and 66.4% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Missouri is grabbing 36.3 rebounds per contest and has tallied 267 assists for the campaign, which ranks 128th in the country in terms of passing. They turn it over 12.8 times per contest and as a team are committing 17.8 fouls every game.

When they are on defense, the Tigers have forced 12.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.9 fouls. They are 155th in Division 1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 224 relinquished for the year. The Tigers defense is allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 41.7% (409 of 980) and they concede 30.6 rebounds per contest as a team. They concede 36.0% on shots from beyond the arc and they rank 139th in college in opponents PPG (71.8).

When they last stepped on the court, the LSU Tigers took a loss by a score of 75-74 against Kentucky. With respect to rebounding, LSU allowed Kentucky to get 27 overall (6 offensive). They shot 43.5% from 3-point land by connecting on 10 out of 23 and finished the game at 15 of 22 at the charity stripe (68.2%). The Tigers permitted Kentucky to bury 25 out of their 56 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 44.6% for this contest. When the game finished, the Tigers finished the game shooting 23 for 47 from the field which gave them a rate of 48.9%. In regard to shooting from downtown, LSU converted 9 out of 19 tries (47.4%). They were able to convert 19 of those for a clip of 67.9%. Kentucky was called for 19 fouls in the matchup which got the Tigers to the free throw line for a total of 28 attempts. They also turned the ball over 12 times, while earning 4 steals in this game. The Tigers collected 23 defensive boards and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 30 for the game.

Max Mackinnon ended up being a major contributor for the Tigers in this matchup. He knocked down 9 of 16 for the matchup giving him a field goal percentage of 56.3%, and earned 4 rebounds. He racked up 27 points in his 38 mins on the court and totaled 4 assists in this game.

LSU has a record of 12-5 this year. The Tigers are committing 18.0 fouls every game and they hit 77.4% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 15.3 times per game (120th in Division 1) and they lose possession via turnover 11.4 times per contest. LSU has 1,444 points for the campaign (84.9 per game) and they pull in 38.8 rebounds per contest. When it comes to offensive execution, the Tigers are connecting on 49.9% from the field, which ranks them 21st in college hoops.

The LSU defense gives up 34.3% on shots from beyond the perimeter (142 of 414) and their opposition knocks down 69.1% of their shots from the free throw line. They have given up 11.8 dimes and 32.3 total boards per game, ranking them 62nd and 67th in college hoops. The Tigers defensively are ranked 161st in college hoops in points allowed per game with 72.6. They are forcing their opponents into 10.5 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 41.2% from the field (60th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Missouri

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