Connecticut Huskies vs Butler Bulldogs NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Huskies versus the Bulldogs? Tip off is at at 12:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on PEAC. The game will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Connecticut is favored by -9.5 in this Big East conference matchup the against Butler. The over/under for the game is set at 143.5 points.
CONNECTICUT HUSKIES VS BUTLER BULLDOGS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Butler Bulldogs +9.5
This game will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 12:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE BUTLER BULLDOGS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-70 in favor of the Bulldogs.
- Not only will Butler pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +9.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 143.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.
Is a Road Win Possible for the Huskies?
Connecticut improved to 9-3 on the season with a 94-89 win over Xavier on Wednesday. Despite being heavy favorites at -13.5, the Huskies didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 183, well over the 146.5 O/U line.
UConn trailed 30-29 at halftime but turned things around by scoring 49 points in the 2nd half while allowing 48. Their offensive surge was key to the win, but they’ll need to tighten up defensively moving forward.
Connecticut put up 94 points in their last game, shooting 47.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.6%. They hit 55.6% of their two-point attempts and 33.3% from beyond the arc, going 8-for-24 from three. At the free-throw line, they were nearly perfect, connecting on 20 of 21 attempts for a 95.2% shooting percentage.
Ryan Conwell led the way with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three. Tarris Reed Jr. added 20 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 63.6% from the field. Dante Maddox Jr. also contributed 22 points, hitting 5-of-9 from three-point range. Hassan Diarra dished out 11 assists to go along with his 12 points.
Connecticut’s defense struggled, giving up 89 points on 47% shooting. They allowed 25 two-pointers on 45 attempts, a 55% success rate for the opposing team.
From beyond the arc, the opposition hit 8 of 24 threes, shooting 33%. Connecticut also sent them to the line 21 times, where they converted 20 free throws, a 95% rate.
Can Butler Grab a Win at Home?
Butler Bulldogs Recent Game/Games
Butler fell to 7-5 on the season after an 80-70 loss to Marquette on Wednesday. The Bulldogs, who were +14 point underdogs, managed to keep the game closer than expected.
Butler led 35-32 at halftime but allowed 48 points in the 2nd half while scoring 35. The total points for the game went over the O/U line of 148.5, finishing at 150.
Butler’s offense put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 51.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 59.6%. They hit 60% of their two-point attempts and 40.9% from beyond the arc, while knocking down 86.7% of their free throws.
Kam Jones led the way with 23 points and 5 assists, though he struggled from three, hitting just 1 of 7 attempts. Jahmyl Telfort and Kolby King each added 16 points, with Telfort also grabbing 10 rebounds. Stevie Mitchell was perfect from the field, going 6 for 6 and finishing with 15 points and 9 boards.
Despite Butler’s defensive struggles, allowing 80 points on 42% shooting, they did manage to limit damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponent to just 6 made threes on 30 attempts (20%).
Butler sent their opponent to the line 12 times, where they converted 10 free throws (83%). The Bulldogs also gave up 20 offensive rebounds in this one.