NCAAB Odds & Pick for Thursday Night: Connecticut vs. Cincinnati

NCAAB Odds & Pick for Thursday Night: Connecticut vs. Cincinnati

Written by on February 22, 2018

Being in the top 25 at this stage of the season means that you have an automatic berth into the tournament. That said, teams in this position realize that now is not the time to relax. It is often how a team goes into March Madness that dictates the NCAAB odds to win it all, and that means trying to get out of the regular season with a winning streak in tow. Going out with a string of losses does little for the confidence, which may help explain why the Cincinnati Bearcats are a bit of a fragile bunch at the moment. They worked their way into the top 10 heading into last week’s games, only to come out and lose back to back tilts that saw them drop all the way back down to #11. That is not a terrible place to be, but this is a team that is going to want to get its mojo back before the end of the regular season. They have the chance to make it happen this week, as they have a pair of very winnable games on tap, starting with a visit from the College Basketball betting underdogs UConn Huskies on Thursday night.

Huskies vs. Bearcats NCAAB Odds & Pick for Thursday Night

  • When: Thursday, February 22 at 7 PM EST
  • Where: BB&T Arena, Highland Heights
  • TV: ESPN
  • Radio: 960 AM (Connecticut) / 700 WLW (Cincinnati)
  • Live Stream: Watch ESPN
  • NCAAB Odds: Cincinnati Bearcats -18 (Over/Under at 131 points)

Team Records

  • All: Connecticut Huskies 13-14 / Cincinnati Bearcats 23-4
  • Home: Connecticut Huskies 10-5 / Cincinnati Bearcats 16-1
  • Away: Connecticut Huskies 3-9 / Cincinnati Bearcats 7-3
  • ATS: Connecticut Huskies 8-16 / Cincinnati Bearcats 14-10
  • Over/Under: Connecticut Huskies 13-11 / Cincinnati Bearcats 9-14

Gonzaga vs. San Diego Game Info & NCAA Basketball Betting Pick

Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)

  • Record: Cincinnati Bearcats lead 7-3
  • Score: Connecticut Huskies 64.10 / Cincinnati Bearcats 69.50
  • Field Goal Percentage: Connecticut Huskies 38.79 / Cincinnati Bearcats 41.18
  • Rebounds: Connecticut Huskies 33.60 / Cincinnati Bearcats 38.30
  • 3 Point Shots: Connecticut Huskies 73-208 / Cincinnati Bearcats 76-202
  • Steals: Connecticut Huskies 4.60 / Cincinnati Bearcats 5.80

Why bet on the Connecticut Huskies?

The Connecticut Huskies are finishing up the regular season with a whimper, as they have now fallen to 7 losses in their last 10 games. They are coming into this one after beating East Carolina on the weekend, but that victory is not what anyone would refer to as a big one. This will be the 7th time this season that the Huskies have come up against a ranked opponent, and a loss here would take them to 0-7 in those games. Included in that group of losses was a 65-57 home court loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats. If there is any glimmer of hope here for the Huskies, it is that Cincinnati is coming into this one having lost two games on the trot. All the pressure is on the Bearcats to get the win, so perhaps that might open the door ever so slightly for the Huskies to spring the upset. Connecticut is 8-16 ATS and 13-11 O/U this season.

Team Statistics

Offense 
  • Total Score: 67.93
  • Field Goal Percentage: 41.53
  • Three-Point Percentage: 32.30
  • Free Throw Percentage: 75.20
  • Total Rebounds: 34.52
Defense
  • Total Score: 72.33
  • Field Goal Percentage: 43.24
  • Three-Point Percentage: 36.65
  • Free Throw Percentage: 70.66
  • Total Rebounds: 36.56

Why bet on the Cincinnati Bearcats?

The Cincinnati Bearcats made their climb into the top 10 by playing some of the best defensive basketball in the nation. This is a team that is giving up just 57.1 PPG, which puts them in the second spot behind Virginia. That commitment to defense seemed to go out the window last week as they gave up 67 and 76 points in back to back losses, whilst also scoring less than their 75.8 PPG average in both games. The Bearcats are huge favorites at the NCAAB Odds against Connecticut. The question now is whether those defeats, as well as the performances within them, are merely a blip on the radar or perhaps a sign of something a little more worrying. If Cincinnati can come out this week and get back to the style of basketball that took them into the top 10, they will be just fine. Cincinnati is 13-10-1 ATS and 9-15 O/U this season.

Team Statistics

Offense 
  • Total Score: 75.78
  • Field Goal Percentage: 45.36
  • Three-Point Percentage: 35.79
  • Free Throw Percentage: 69.26
  • Total Rebounds: 39.52
Defense
  • Total Score: 57.07
  • Field Goal Percentage: 37.07
  • Three-Point Percentage: 30.78
  • Free Throw Percentage: 66.82
  • Total Rebounds: 31.44

Latest Betting Trends for NCAAB

  • Huskies are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games
  • Huskies are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of Connecticut’s last 7 games
  • Bearcats are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games
  • Bearcats are 16-2 SU in their last 18 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games at home

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Last week was rough for Cincinnati, but I think they can start to put those losses in the rearview mirror with a big win in this one. Score: Connecticut Huskies 55 – Cincinnati Bearcats 75