Cincinnati vs Memphis Odds
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | +180 |
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | -220 |
Memphis welcomes Cincinnati to the FedExForum for a Sunday afternoon tip in the American Athletic Conference.
The Tigers come into the contest battling for an NCAA Tournament invite and are second in the AAC at 21-7 overall and 11-4 in conference.
Meanwhile, the Bearcats are also in the hunt for the second seed in the league tournament, holding a 10-6 mark in conference play.
Both squads want to position themselves on the opposite side of the bracket from No. 1 Houston in the conference tournament, which makes this a huge game late in the regular season.
Cincinnati Bearcats
In his second season with the program, head coach Wes Miller has led the school to a great turnaround from to a year ago, when the Bearcats finished with 18 wins.
Cincinnati has already topped its overall and conference win totals from last season, and Miller’s squad has a great chance at playing in a postseason tournament.
The Bearcats are led by forward Landers Nolley II, who is top 10 in the conference in both scoring (17.94 PPG) and rebounds (6.81 RPG) in AAC play. He is one of four Bearcats to average double figures in league action.
On the defensive end of the floor, Miller’s team has also been solid, ranking in the top 75 in the nation in AdjD (55th), EFG% (66th) and opponents’ 2-point shooting (74th), according to barttorvik.com. It will be a tough task to slow down this high-flying Memphis squad.
Memphis Tigers
Memphis is listed as one of the Last Four Byes in ESPN’s Bracketology. However, coach Penny Hardaway’s team still has a couple of opportunities to build on their resume.
Besides this tilt against a Cincinnati squad in the top 80 in NET, the Tigers end the regular season by hosting the league-leading Cougars. That finale adds even more importance to this game.
Hardaway has built a solid squad at Memphis. The Tigers rank among the top 50 in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Meanwhile, the Tigers also have one of the best guards in college basketball in Kendric Davis.
Everything on offense runs through Davis, who leads the conference in scoring (21.2 PPG) and assists (5.7 APG). He’ll need to be able to carry the load again in this one, especially with fellow guard Keonte Kennedy likely out with an injury.
Cincinnati vs Memphis Betting Pick
When I look at the odds for this game, I don’t see any value in the spread or total for the full game, but there is a way to attack this contest in the first half.
My best bet is to back the first-half total to fly over 73 points.
Both schools are very good in the opening half of games. On the year, Cincinnati ranks 47th in average points per first half, while Memphis is even better — 22nd in the country.
For the Tigers, this same bet would have cashed in six of their past 10 contests and in four of seven AAC home games.
You also can look back at the previous meeting, which finished with 74 points in the opening period.
