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The New Hampshire Wildcats take on the UConn Huskies. Check out our college basketball odds series for our New Hampshire UConn prediction and pick. Find how to watch New Hampshire UConn.
The UConn Huskies haven't yet started the Big East portion of their season, but they certainly look the part of a team which will compete for a spot in the Final Four once again. Dan Hurley is building an annual juggernaut in New England. His team steamrolled the competition in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, and UConn looks really good once again with an unbeaten start to its season.
Dan Hurley has done what Jim Calhoun did in building the UConn empire: He has managed to produce a blend of skill and size. UConn's best teams always had significant size and length in the frontcourt and therefore provided strong rim protection and rebounding. UConn hasn't necessarily possessed elite scoring bigs, but its best teams have had strong defender-rebounder big men who take care of the defensive end of the floor and free up the Huskies' guards to score at the offensive end. That's the complementarity UConn has been able to achieve with its national championship squads. A Kemba Walker or Ryan Boatwright can flourish in part because he isn't overburdened on defense due to the knowledge that a top defensive big man is at the rim to deter or alter shots. The bigs on defense know they don't have to be heroes on offense. The division of roles and responsibilities on the great UConn teams through the years has been consistent, and it's so impressive that Hurley has quickly reassembled what Calhoun first put together in Storrs.
With Creighton struggling, it looks like Marquette will be the one team to stand up to UConn in the coming Big East Conference race, though Villanova might be rounding into form as well. UConn is a definite Final Four contender right now, and no one can ignore how much of a presence the Huskies have once again become in the world of college basketball.
Here are the New Hampshire-UConn College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: New Hampshire-UConn Odds
New Hampshire Wildcats: +31.5 (-110)
UConn Huskies: -31.5 (-110)
Over: 149.5 (-110)
Under: 149.5 (-110)
How To Watch New Hampshire vs UConn
Time: 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why New Hampshire Could Cover the Spread
The UConn Huskies will play the Kansas Jayhawks this coming Friday night in a massive game which could be a Final Four preview. UConn will naturally be caught looking ahead to that game. It's the ultimate look-ahead situation here in which UConn is likely to go through the motions and play far below its best level. This will be a game in which UConn players basically get a good cardio workout but don't play with a lot of focus or precision. The spread is massive, which means that as long as UConn plays 15 to 20 sleepy minutes, the other 20 to 25 minutes won't be good enough to cover the huge spread. This might be a game in which UConn leads by eight at halftime, then wakes up in the second half and wins by 28. That would be enough for New Hampshire to cover.
Why UConn Could Cover the Spread
The Huskies are simply very, very good. They are a million times better than New Hampshire. Dan Hurley will remind his players that if they want the best possible chance of beating Kansas, they need to prepare and play with urgency and consistency. If the players buy into that message, they will play a focused game here versus New Hampshire. If that happens, UConn is at least 40 points better than UNH if not more.
Final New Hampshire-UConn Prediction & Pick
The look-ahead element for UConn with Kansas looming on Friday makes this game more complicated to predict relative to the spread. Stay away from the game and maybe consider a live play.
Final New Hampshire-UConn Prediction & Pick: UConn -31.5
