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The Cincinnati Bearcats take on the BYU Cougars. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Cincinnati BYU prediction and pick. Find how to watch Cincinnati BYU.
The BYU Cougars are a hefty favorite over the Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big 12 Conference game. Both BYU and Cincinnati are new to the Big 12, so this is one of those conference games which feels like a nonconference game, given that the two teams have never before met in Big 12 play. This is the beginning of a new era, and the excitement in Provo will be pronounced for this matchup.
As noted above, BYU is a strong favorite. When you look at the odds below, you will see that the Cougars are a double-digit favorite just before tipoff. Yet, you will notice that Cincinnati is 11-2 on the season, just one game worse than 12-1 BYU. Why should the Cougars be favored by so many points against an opponent which has very rarely lost? You can look at the schedule BYU has played and see it is a lot tougher than what Cincinnati has dealt with.
Cincinnati has lost to Xavier and Dayton, the two toughest teams on its schedule. BYU lost to Utah on the road but has beaten North Carolina State, Arizona State, San Diego State — last season's national runner-up — Fresno State, and Wyoming. BYU has beaten NCAA Tournament teams, a few bubble teams, and a few Mountain West teams. Cincinnati doesn't have nearly the same profile as BYU and is playing the Cougars on the road in the Marriott Center. It's a daunting task for the Bearcats in this intriguing early-January clash.
Here are the Cincinnati-BYU College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Cincinnati-BYU Odds
Cincinnati Bearcats: +10.5 (-110)
BYU Cougars: -10.5 (-110)
Over: 151.5 (-110)
Under: 151.5 (-110)
How To Watch Cincinnati vs BYU
Time: 10:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Cincinnati Could Cover the Spread
The Bearcats might not have played an especially tough schedule, but they are going to gear up for this game. BYU is nationally ranked, so UC is going to treat this game as especially important. College teams constantly devote more energy to some games than they offer for others. It's why betting on the sport is so hard, but it's also why you can sometimes find value with underdogs going up against generally better teams. The underdogs are motivated and just have to be better for one night, not a series of games. The favored teams get into a situation where they are taking opponents' best shots each game. That becomes tiring and leads those favored teams to conserve energy to an extent. It also dilutes their performance over the longer haul — not to the extent that they stop winning games, but often to the extent that they don't cover larger point spreads such as this 10.5-point mark for BYU. This is what will work in Cincinnati's favor on the road. BYU is the hunted. Cincinnati will enjoy playing the role of the hunter.
Why BYU Could Cover the Spread
The Cougars are a battle-tested team, and they will relish playing this Big 12 Conference game on their home floor. Their crowd should be roaring and vocal, and it should give this team a shot in the arm. BYU has beaten San Diego State and a number of other really good teams. Those experiences will come in handy against a Cincinnati team which has not been challenged to the same extent. Cincinnati has played a lot of buy games and has not gone up against the caliber of opposition BYU has faced. This will matter a lot.
Final Cincinnati-BYU Prediction & Pick
BYU is better, but that's a large spread against a Cincinnati team which competes well. Stay away from this one.
Final Cincinnati-BYU Prediction & Pick: BYU -10.5
