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The Cincinnati Bearcats lost a critical conference matchup last time out and now don’t have the inside track for the American regular season crown. They need to win both of their games down the stretch to have that chance, first up in a tough one against the Houston Cougars.
Cincinnati has the superior record and gets this one at home, so it will certainly be favored to come away with the victory. However, the Cougars have played well of late and are a feisty opponent. This one could be competitive as each side hopes to punch its ticket to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, March 2, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cincinnati is 25-4 straight up and 13-13-1 against the spread. The Bearcats have played in 15 home games this season and have covered in nine of them. Cincinnati is 12-11-1 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
Houston is 21-8 straight up and 11-13 against the spread. The Cougars have played in 10 road games this season and have covered in half of them. Houston has only been the underdog in four games this season but has failed to cover in any of those matchups.
Key Stat
61.1. That’s how many points per game opponents are averaging against Cincinnati's stout defense. In the first meeting between the two teams this season, the Bearcats held the Cougars to just 58 points in a win.
Cincinnati has held 17 opponents under 60 points this season including SMU and Iowa State. Despite the recent loss to UCF, the Knights scored just 53 points against the Bearcats last weekend.
The Bearcats defense ranks No. 7 in the league for points against. As a unit, the team averages eight steals a game. Cincinnati will play at a deliberate pace and really guards against fast breaks by their opponents.
Houston must try to get Cincinnati outside of its comfort zone in order to get some easy baskets.
Player to Watch
Rob Gray Jr. -- The Houston guard is the team’s leading scorer right now, averaging 20.3 points per game. He scored a team-high 21 points against the Bearcats back in January.
Gray scored a season-high 30 points against the University of Rhode Island on December 10th. He finished with 23 points against No. 19 SMU two weeks ago.
Gray leads an offense that is averaging 74.9 points per game this season. A big game from its best player is a Houston’s best hope of an upset in this one. Cincinnati will likely focus heavily on him, but Gray still has the ability to break out because he is so talented.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
These are clearly two of the cream of the crop in the conference. Cincinnati fell one game behind SMU in the standings with its loss to Central Florida last time out when its offense disappeared.
Despite the setback, the Bearcats are sitting pretty for the Big Dance and want to head there on a hot streak. They are the better team and should be able to take care of business in this one.
However, the spread will be something to watch because Houston is good enough to keep this one close. Also pay attention to the scoring total. While Cincinnati plays elite defense, expect this one to be higher-scoring than most games involving the Bearcats.
This is a crucial game for both spots and thus there should be high energy and intensity throughout the contest.
College Basketball Odds: Cincinnati 71, Houston 68
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