The No. 14 Cincinnati Bearcats (14-2, 3-0 AAC) will try to prolong their seven-game winning streak against the South Florida Bulls (7-10, 0-4 AAC) at USF Sun Dome. The game can be seen on ESPNews at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 13, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 120 points with Cincinnati opening as a 22.5-point favorite.
Cincinnati Bearcats at South Florida Bulls ATS Prediction
The last time the Bearcats played, they thoroughly outplayed the SMU Mustangs, 76-56. The Bearcats forced 18 turnovers and held the Mustangs to an offensive rebounding percentage of 26.5 (below their season average of 35.6). Cincinnati rallied around Gary Clark, who had 18 points and eight rebounds.
The Bulls got blown out by the No. 9 Wichita State Shockers in their last matchup, 95-57. Wichita State couldn’t miss, shooting 62.7 percent from the field. South Florida, on the other hand, had a field goal percentage of 36.4. South Florida’s Malik Martin had a good performance, leading the team in scoring with 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
The inefficient offense of South Florida will battle against the top-notch defense of Cincinnati. The Bulls rank 321st in offensive efficiency, while the Bearcats are first in defensive efficiency. The Bearcats figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Cincinnati heads into the game with records of 14-2 straight up (SU) and 7-6 against the spread (ATS). Of the Bearcats’ 12 games with betting action, eight have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, South Florida is 7-10 SU and 3-9-1 ATS. Games including the Bulls also have a slight tendency to go under the total (53.8 percent).
After the Bearcats won both matchups against the Bulls last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last game, Cincinnati won 68-54. The Bearcats’ 12.9 turnover percentage was their largest advantage over the Bulls, who had a mark of 27.3.
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. South Florida Bulls ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cincinnati, ATS Winner – Cincinnati, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Cincinnati is 3-4 ATS on the road with 6 unders and 1 over.
At home, South Florida is 2-6 ATS with 5 unders and 3 overs.
Cincinnati ranks 23rd in assists per game (17.3) while South Florida ranks 187th (12.2).
The Bearcats rank 18th in rebounds per game (40.7) while the Bulls rank 180th (35.1).
Cincinnati ranks 21st in steals per game (8.4) while South Florida ranks 161st (5.4).
The Bearcats rank 19th in blocks per game (5.5) while the Bulls rank 139th (2.8).
Cincinnati ranks 186th in three pointers attempted per game (20.8) while South Florida ranks 258th (17.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cincinnati is 2-2 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders.
South Florida is 0-5 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Bearcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 20.6, up from 20.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bulls have scored an average of 59.8 points per game (3.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 79.2 points per game (9.5 above their season average).
