The final tip-off of the 2026 NCAA Tournament's first round is a showcase in St. Louis with a strong SEC-ACC matchup. Miami is listed as a 1.5-point favorite on the spread against Missouri at 10:10 p.m. ET, televised on truTV.
The Hurricanes (25-8) bounced back from a 7-24 campaign to finish third in the ACC behind Duke and Virginia. The Tigers (20-12), meanwhile, reached the 20-win mark for the third time in Dennis Gates’ four seasons as head coach.
Let’s look at a Missouri vs. Miami spread prediction for Friday’s battle at the Enterprise Center. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Missouri vs. Miami Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Tigers eliminated the Hurricanes in the first round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament, 93-80.
Tonight marks the second meeting between these schools. The Hurricanes are back in the tourney for the first time since reaching the Final Four in 2023.
The Tigers are playing in consecutive tournaments for the first time since a five-year stretch of going dancing from 2009-2013.
Missouri vs. Miami Spread, Over/Under
The Hurricanes enter this matchup as 1.5-point favorites, returning a 1.78x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Tigers are underdogs with a 2.04x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Miami Hurricanes -1.5 (1.85x payout)
- Over/Under: 145.5 (1.88x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Missouri 2.04x | Miami 1.78x
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
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Missouri vs. Miami Prediction on Spread – 3/20/26
Here are some key stats to know before locking in your Missouri vs. Miami prediction on spread for Friday, March 20 on PrizePicks.
- Missouri is 14-18 against the spread (ATS) despite knocking off Florida, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Tennessee in SEC play.
- The Tigers closed on a 4-2 ATS run as an underdog while pulling out six outright victories in that role.
- Six of Miami’s eight defeats came to NCAA Tournament teams, including a pair late in the season to Virginia.
- The Hurricanes rely on the 2-point shot, with 57.2% of their points coming from inside the arc. UM ranks 27th in the nation in 2-point shooting at 57.3%. The Tigers limited conference foes to 50% shooting on 2-pointers, third-best in the SEC.
- With that said, Mizzou allowed four of its last five opponents to shoot higher than 61% on 2-pointers.
- Miami hasn't fared well from deep, shooting 34% in ACC play. The Canes knocked down 11 of 18 attempts against SMU on March 4 but have converted 17 of 52 3-pointers in the last three games.
- Missouri enters tonight as a No. 10 seed after losing as a 6-seed to Drake last March, 67-57.
- Miami closed on a 7-3 ATS run in the final 10 games, albeit five covers came as an underdog.
- The Hurricanes are not a strong free throw shooting team, ranking 311th at 68.5%.
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Make Missouri vs. Miami Picks on PrizePicks
Both the Tigers and Hurricanes haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2023. Who will come out of this matchup in St. Louis with a victory?
You can make your Missouri vs. Miami picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
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