The Memphis Tigers take on the Connecticut Huskies in Lahaina, Hawaii, as part of the Maui Invitational. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Huskies are favored by 9 points on the spread with a moneyline of -450. The total is set at -150.5 points.
Here’s my Memphis vs UConn predictions and college basketball picks for November 25, 2024.
Memphis vs UConn Prediction
My Pick: Memphis +10
My Memphis vs UConn best bet is on the Tigers spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Memphis vs UConn Odds, Spread
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+9 -110 | 150.5 -110 / -110 | +350 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-9 -110 | 150.5 -110 / -110 | -450 |
- Memphis vs UConn spread: UConn -9
- Memphis vs UConn over/under: 150.5 points
- Memphis vs UConn moneyline: UConn -450, Memphis +350
- Memphis vs UConn best bet: Memphis +10
My Memphis vs UConn NCAAB Betting Preview
The Tigers enter this spot with a chance to start getting national attention. They already secured a pair of solid road wins over San Francisco and UNLV, but facing the back-to-back champs is a different beast.
The biggest improvement Memphis has made from last year to this year is defensively. The Tigers went from the 103rd-ranked defense in KenPom last year to 24th this year.
Penny Hardaway's squad hasn't shown any cracks yet, limiting all four opponents to 1.06 PPP or fewer, including two tallying fewer than 1.00 PPP.
When Memphis made the NCAA Tournament two years ago, it did so on the back of AAC transfer Kendric Davis. This year, Memphis looks NCAA Tournament bound due to another AAC guard, PJ Haggerty.
The former Tulsa talent leads the Tigers with 22.8 points per game on 47% shooting and gets to the foul line nine times a night.
One of the problems holding Memphis back is a familiar one: too many turnovers. It's giving the ball away 19.8% of the time (272nd nationally). There isn't a bigger momentum killer than the other team scoring off turnovers, and so far, the Huskies have excelled at forcing giveaways.
The Tigers' interior play has been pretty strong, too. The combination of Dain Dainja, who provides more offense, and 7-footer Moussa Cisse, who is more of a defender, should keep the Huskies on their toes.
Dainja is coming off a season-high 18-point performance against San Francisco, while Cisse averages nearly two blocks.
UConn Basketball
The Huskies have yet to drop a game this year, as they enter the Maui Invitational with a 5-0 record. That shouldn't be a surprise since UConn's opponents have all ranked outside of KenPom's top 320.
It's been cupcake central in Storrs, but does it really matter? UConn is UConn.
The thing I'm weary of is UConn's guard play. It went from having a pair of NBA draft picks in Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer — two older, experienced starters — to a career backup in Hassan Diarra, a streaky Aidan Mahaney and Solo Ball.
Diarra is solid, but he plays the exact role he did last year. However, he doesn't have Newton ahead of him.
I guess UConn now wants to rely on Mahaney, who averages 5.8 points per game on 30% shooting.
So, how will UConn initiate offense? Maybe it will let Alex Karaban get a chance. He leads the Huskies in points, assists and blocks and should help ease things for the rest of UConn's roster. He's UConn's best player by far, but he's fifth on the roster in usage rate.
Dan Hurley needs to find a way to get Karaban the ball more so he can either create or score. There's no reason Tarris Reed Jr. should be leading the team in usage rate, but maybe it's a byproduct of playing smaller teams so far.
Shooting is the key for the Huskies taking a win in the Maui opener. They attempt 3s on 47% of their offensive possessions and shoot 35% from 3, led by Karaban at 54%, Ball at 47% and Liam McNeeley at 38%.
Mahaney has largely been a no-show, though. He was a prolific scorer at Saint Mary's, so we will see if he can find his shooting stroke in Hawaii.
Memphis vs UConn Betting Analysis
My choice to back Memphis boils down to a few factors, but the biggest is the Tigers' guard play is flat-out better.
I trust Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter more than I trust any of the Huskies' guard.
Second, I'm chalking UConn's vastly improved defensive turnover rate up to the teams it's played. We aren't looking at St John's or Marquette, who play a bunch of long, rangy athletes and press all game.
UConn wants a more methodical game and most turnovers will likely be self-imposed ones.
Give me Memphis.
