Cincinnati at BYU odds, picks and predictions
The Cincinnati Bearcats (11-2) and BYU Cougars (12-1) meet Saturday in the Big 12 opener for both teams at Marriott Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the Cincinnati vs. BYU odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Bearcats have won 3 in a row since an 82-68 setback to Dayton on a neutral floor. However, Cincinnati has failed to cover in 4 consecutive outings since a victory over Bryant back on Dec. 12. The Bearcats are also 1-1 straight up (SU) and 0-2 against the spread (ATS) in 2 road games this season.
The Cougars pounded Wyoming last time out on Dec. 30, winning 94-68 to cover a 19.5-point spread. BYU has covered 3 straight while going 11-2 ATS in 13 games overall. At home, the Cougars are 8-1 ATS in 9 tries while cashing the Over in 3 of the past 4 at Marriott Center.
BYU is No. 12 in the Paste BN Sports Coaches Poll.
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Cincinnati at BYU odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Cincinnati +375 (bet $100 to win $375) | BYU -500 (bet $500 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Cincinnati +9.5 (-110) | BYU -9.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 151.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Cincinnati at BYU picks and predictions
Prediction
BYU 82, Cincinnati 71
Moneyline
BYU (-500) will cost you 5 times your potential return, and that's way too much risk for not enough reward. There is no way to justify spending that much for such a small profit, as a $100 bet would net just $20 of profit. Even as part of a multi-team parlay, including the Cougars sucks all of the value out of your ticket.
PASS.
Against the spread
BYU -9.5 (-110) is a much better play laying the points, especially if this line remains a single-digit point total.
The Cougars have won 4 in a row while covering the past 3 games. On the flip side, the Bearcats have failed to cover the previous 4 outings. And Cincinnati failed to cover the only other time it was an underdog this season. Back the Cougars to get the job done.
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Over/Under
OVER 151.5 (-115) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most.
The Bearcats can score the basketball, going for 82.1 points per game (PPG) to rank 46th in the nation. One thing that drives Over bettors mad is a poor free-throw percentage, and UC definitely has one. The Bearcats hit just 68.4% from the charity stripe to leave a lot of points on the floor.
The Cougars are 4th in the nation in scoring, going for 90.4 PPG, and they're a great 3-point shooting team at 38.0%. BYU has scored 85 or more points in 7 of the past 8 games. Defensively, BYU is stingy, but the non-conference schedule hasn't exactly featured a who's who of blue bloods. Look for the total to go high.
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