Cincinnati Bearcats vs BYU Cougars NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/25/25
The Bearcats and Cougars are set to face off at 10:30 ET on ESPN2. The Cougars will host the game at Marriott Center in Provo, UT. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 137.5 points, and BYU is favored by -4.5 to win at home against Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI BEARCATS VS BYU COUGARS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Cincinnati Bearcats +4.5
This game will be played at Marriott Center at 10:30 ET on Saturday, January 25th.
WHY BET THE CINCINNATI BEARCATS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-72 in favor of the Bearcats.
- Not only will Cincinnati pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +4.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 137.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 146 points.
Can Cincinnati Lock in a Road Win?
Cincinnati Bearcats Recent Game/Games
The Bearcats fell to 12-6 on the season after an 81-71 loss to Texas Tech on Tuesday. Playing at home, Cincinnati entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.
Cincinnati trailed 42-38 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 33 points while allowing 39. The game’s total points of 152 exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 133.5.
Cincinnati’s offense put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 51.9% from the field. They were dominant inside, hitting 63.2% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 3 of 14 threes for 21.4%.
JT Toppin led the way with 20 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 60% from the field. Christian Anderson added 18 points, hitting 4 of 7 threes, while Jizzle James contributed 17 points on 66.7% shooting.
Even though Cincinnati’s defense limited their opponent to just 14 three-point attempts, they still gave up 81 points, with the other team shooting 51% from the field. Most of the damage came from inside the arc, where their opponent hit 63% of their two-point shots, going 24/38.
From the free-throw line, Cincinnati’s opponent made 14 of 19 attempts, good for 73%. The Bearcats did a solid job on the boards, allowing only 3 offensive rebounds.
Can the Cougars Secure a Win at Home?
BYU improved to 12-6 on the season with an 83-67 road win over Colorado on Tuesday. The Cougars, who were favored by five points, covered the spread, and the total points of 150 exceeded the over/under line of 146.5.
Leading 38-36 at halftime, BYU clamped down defensively in the second half, allowing just 31 points while scoring 45 of their own to pull away for the win.
BYU’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 83 points while shooting 58.5% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 67.9%, thanks to 69% shooting on two-pointers and 45.8% from beyond the arc.
Richie Saunders led the way with 25 points, hitting 3 of 6 from deep, while Julian Hammond III also connected on 3 threes, finishing with 17 points. Trevin Knell was 4 of 6 from three-point range, contributing 14 points in the win.
BYU’s defense gave up 67 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 45% from the field. They allowed 14 two-point baskets on 27 attempts, a 51% shooting rate.
From three-point range, the opposition went 7/19, hitting 36% of their shots. BYU also sent them to the free-throw line 27 times, where they made 18, shooting 66%. The Cougars allowed 9 offensive rebounds.