Utah State vs Missouri Prediction and Game Preview - March 16th | March Madness 2023

The NCAA Tournament is underway, and fans are anxiously awaiting a plethora of games for March Madness. While there are four teams in the First Four that are still playing to reach the first round, others are set with their opponents.

The No. 10 seed Utah State Aggies take on the No. 7 seed Missouri Tigers on Thursday at 10:40 AM PST on TNT.

Utah State (26-8) came out of the Mountain West Conference and finished second in the standings. The Aggies had an impressive end of the season, winning seven of their last eight games.

The Missouri Tigers (24-9) have been one of the most underrated teams in the country throughout the 2022-23 NCAA season. The Tigers finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference and won five of their last six games to end the season. The winner of this matchup will take on the winner of No. 2 seed Arizona (28-6) and No. 15 seed Princeton (21-8).

Game preview

Both Missouri and Utah State feature two of the nation's most electrifying offenses. This should be one of the highest-scoring games in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Both programs are on the rise and have been climbing the ranks throughout college basketball.

The Aggies were viewed by some as a potential bubble team. But that was before an impressive conference tournament run in the Mountain West saw the team reach the conference championship.

Missouri has the potential to put up points in a hurry with a talented starting five. If the combination of D'Moi Hodge and Kobe Brown can get going, it could be problematic for Utah State.

Game prediction

Spread: Utah State -1.5

Total (O/U): 155.5

Moneyline: Utah State (-125) vs. Missouri (+105)

Both teams in this showdown should have the potential to light up the scoring column. Utah State has been one of the top offenses in the country throughout the 2022-23 NCAA season.

One of the most underrated storylines for the Aggies this year has been their defensive ability. According to Bart Torvik, when it comes to Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, Utah State has had the 11th ranked defense in the nation in the last month.

That defense will be tested by the Tigers' dynamic duo of Hodge and Brown. D'Moi Hodge has been a lethal outside threat throughout the season and can get hot from the perimeter. Kobe Brown has been one of the most versatile players in the nation this year and has done a bit of everything for the Tigers.

This should be a barn burner of a game in the first round. If the Aggies can keep it up on the defensive side, they should have the tools to move on from the first round in a bit of an upset.

Utah State 73, Missouri 70