The Cincinnati Bearcats (15-6) head to Connecticut to take on the Huskies (14-5) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 28 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Huskies enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Georgetown 68-62 in their last matchup. Shonn Miller played a pivotal role with 15 points, seven rebounds, and one block. The Bearcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 97-75 win against Tulane in their last game. Farad Cobb played well for Cincinnati, registering 16 points, three steals, and three assists.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Connecticut ranks 16th in the nation, allowing just 93.3 points per 100 possessions, while Cincinnati is 13th (93.0).
Connecticut is a slim two-point favorite at home against Cincinnati. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 130 points. The Huskies come into this game 14-5 Straight Up (SU) and 8-6-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Huskies are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .765 from the free throw line. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Connecticut’s stingy defense. The Huskies are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 62.6 points per game. The Huskies have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking fifth in the country with a .373 opponent field-goal percentage. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Huskies, ranking 27th in the country in blocks per game with 5.3.
As for their opponent, the Bearcats have 15-6 SU and 7-9-1 ATS records. The Bearcats have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 13.5 offensive rebounds per game, 31st in the country. The Bearcats are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 38th in Division I at 1.40. Moving on to the Cincinnati defense, the Bearcats allow just 62.4 points per game, ranking them 14th in the nation.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these conference foes. Their previous game was a Bearcats victory, but the win was not enough to overtake Connecticut in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent meetings. The Huskies also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. Cincinnati held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Connecticut never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cin, ATS Winner – Cin, O/U – Under
Notes
Connecticut is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut’s last 6 games.
Connecticut is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut’s last 7 games when playing Cincinnati.
Connecticut is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati.
Connecticut and Cincinnati hold winning records against the American Athletic Conference Conference this season. The Connecticut Huskies sit at 4-2 SU and the Cincinnati Bearcats have a 5-3 record.
Cincinnati averages 75.3 points per game, placing the team just 137th in the nation. Connecticut ranks 16th in points allowed, giving up 62.6 points per game.
Cincinnati scores just 63.6 points per away game (ranked 291st). Connecticut ranks 35th in points allowed at home, giving up 60.6 points.
Ranked 13th, the Cincinnati Bearcats have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 93.0 points per 100 possessions. The Connecticut Huskies rank 79th in offense, scoring 110.9 points in the same number of possessions.
Connecticut averages 67.7 possessions per game, scoring 1.109 points on each possession. While Cincinnati averages fewer possessions per game with 66.8, they score more points per possession with 1.128.
The Connecticut Huskies average an effective field goal percentage of 52.5% this season. The Cincinnati Bearcats have split their games this season (3-3) when opponents have an eFG% of 52.5% or greater.
Cincinnati ranks 41st in assists, recording 16.1 per game. Connecticut performs worse at 174th with 13.5 assists per game.
Cincinnati, the 19th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.5 blocks per game. Connecticut ranks 27th with 5.3.
Connecticut ranks 35th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Cincinnati ranks 31st.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 21.5% when playing Cincinnati this season. Connecticut is undefeated this season (2-0) when its TO% is 21.5% or higher.
