The Cincinnati Bearcats (23-12) face the Utah Valley Wolverines (27-8) in the quarterfinals of the NIT. Action tips off at 9:00 p.m. p.m. ET. Below we continue our NIT odds series with a Cincinnati-Utah Valley prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Cincinnati has had an impressive NIT run thus far, taking down both Virginia Tech and Hofstra. The Bearcats covered 68% of their games while 52% went under the projected point total. Utah Valley, too, has impressed in the tournament with double-digit wins over New Mexico and Colorado. The Wolverines covered 72% of their games while 52% went over. This will be the second-ever meeting between the two schools. Cincinnati won the only prior matchup 92-72 back in 2010.
Here are the Cincinnati-Utah Valley NIT odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NIT Odds: Cincinnati-Utah Valley Odds
Cincinnati: +1.5 (-110)
Utah Valley: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 146.5 (-105)
Under: 146.5 (-115)
How To Watch Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Cincinnati Could Cover The Spread
Cincinnati features a strong offense that ranks 39th nationally in scoring. The Bearcats are very efficient on that end, ranking 45th in KenPom's offensive efficiency metric. Consequently, Cincinnati hardly turns the ball over as its 13.2% turnover rate ranks 20th in the country. They do a good chunk of their damage from beyond the arc, ranking 42nd with 8.8 threes per game. They are a solid defensive team as well, slotting in at 54th in defensive efficiency. Cincy features one of the stingiest three-point defenses out there. They rank 39th in opponent three-point percentage while allowing just 5.8 threes per game – 25th nationally. Additionally, they are a solid rebounding team that slides in at 90th in the country in rebound rate.
The Bearcats' offense is centered around their two guards, Landers Nolley II and David DeJulius. Nolley, a 6'7″ senior, leads the team with 16.7 PPG while also chipping in 5.8 RPG. The Memphis transfer is among the best shooters in the country thanks to averaging 2.6 threes per game at a 42% clip. He was incredibly productive in the first two games of the tournament, racking up 35 points and 18 rebounds. A First-Team All-AAC guard, Nolley should be featured early and often tonight with his ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
As for DeJulius, the Third-Team All-AAC guard is a solid scorer who averages 14.7 PPG. The 6'0″ senior serves as one of the best playmakers in the sport thanks to his 5.4 APG. While he has struggled from deep in recent games. his 1.6 threes per game mark him as a capable threat from distance. DeJulius has been on fire in the first two games of the NIT, scoring 36 points, racking up eight rebounds, and dishing out 16 assists.
Why Utah Valley Could Cover The Spread
Utah Valley harbors one of the premier defenses in the country thanks to their 35th-ranked defensive efficiency. They excel at protecting the rim and in turn average 6.6 blocks per game – the most across all of Division-1. The Wolverines do a good job defending across the board, however, as they rank 5th in opposing field goal percentage and 33rd in opposing three-point percentage. Offensively, the Wolverines love to push the pace as they average the 43rd-fastest tempo in the country. Those transition opportunities lead to their fair share of high-scoring affairs and in turn, they average 76 PPG – the 50th-highest mark in the nation.
The Wolverines are a balanced group that saw three players named to the WAC First-Team All-Conference. Guards Le'tre Darthard and Trey Woodbury lead the way on the offensive end. Darthhard paces the Wolverines in scoring with 13.9 PPG and averages nearly two threes per game at a 37% clip. While he hasn't shot well thus far in the NIT, he has the ability to light it up from beyond the arc as he is a career 38% three-point shooter.
As for Woodbury, the senior has bounced back after missing nearly all of the 2021-22 season. Woodbury does it all for Utah Valley, averaging 13.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 4.6 APG. He, too, is a lethal outside shooter who averages 1.9 threes per game while shooting 41% from deep. Woodbury has been red-hot in recent games, eclipsing 20 points in three of his last four outings. That includes a 25-point, seven-assist, seven-rebound performance in their win over Colorado.
The X-factor for the Wolverines is their big man, Aziz Bandaogo. The 7'0″ sophomore is a defensive force who averages 11.4 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 2.9 blocks per game. Additionally, the transfer from Akron took the WAC by storm this season, and was awarded the Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
Final Cincinnati-Utah Valley Prediction & Pick
In what is essentially a pick 'em, I'll ride with the Wolverine given they've blown everyone out of the water in this tournament.
Final Cincinnati-Utah Valley Prediction & Pick: Utah Valley -1.5 (-110)
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