The Arizona Wildcats (7-5) travel to face off against the Cincinnati Bearcats (10-2) on Saturday, January 4th. This game will be played at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati and televised on ESPN2. Arizona is coming off a win in their previous game, while Cincinnati is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Kansas State. Tip-off is set for 2:30 ET.

Arizona Wildcats vs Cincinnati Bearcats

The Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win

Arizona improved to 7-5 on the season with a 90-81 win over TCU on Monday. The Wildcats were -14.5 favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread. The combined points of 171 exceeded the over/under line of 145.5.

Arizona led 41-37 at halftime and scored 49 points in the 2nd half while allowing 44. They’ll look to tighten up defensively as they move forward.

The Bearcats Are Coming Off A Win

Cincinnati Bearcats Recent Game/Games

The Bearcats fell to 10-2 on the season after a 70-67 road loss to Kansas State on Monday. Cincinnati, who entered the game as -3.5 favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 31-29 at halftime, the Bearcats scored 38 points in the 2nd half but allowed 39. The total points for the game ended at 137, just under the O/U line of 139.5.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Arizona’s offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 90 points with a 56.9% field goal percentage and a 62.1% effective field goal percentage. They dominated inside, hitting 72.2% of their two-point attempts, while their three-point shooting was less effective at 31.8% (7/22). The Wildcats also connected on 81% of their free throws, going 17/21 from the line.

Caleb Love led the way with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, shooting 64.7% from the field and 45.5% from three (5/11). Noah Reynolds added 23 points and 7 assists, hitting 50% of his threes (3/6). Arizona finished with 28 assists and 11 offensive rebounds, with Henri Veesaar contributing 15 points and 6 rebounds in just 18 minutes, shooting 85.7% from the field.

Bearcats Offense Breakdown

Cincinnati put up 67 points in their last game, shooting 46.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.3%. They connected on 7 of 19 three-point attempts, hitting 36.8% from deep, while their free-throw shooting was just 57.1% on 4 of 7 attempts.

Coleman Hawkins led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 53.8% overall and 60% from three. Dan Skillings Jr. added 18 points, hitting 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, and Dug McDaniel contributed 17 points, shooting 53.8% from the field.

Wildcats Team Defense

Arizona’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 81 points on 56% shooting from the field. The Wildcats allowed their opponent to connect on 72% of their two-point attempts, with 26 made shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Arizona’s opponent shot 31%, hitting 7 of 22 attempts. The Wildcats also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 17 free throws, an 81% rate. Arizona allowed 11 offensive rebounds.

Bearcats Team Defense

Arizona’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 81 points on 56% shooting from the field. The Wildcats had a tough time defending inside, where they allowed 72% shooting on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, Arizona’s opponents shot 31%, hitting 7 of 22 three-point attempts. The Wildcats also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 17 free throws, and Arizona gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Wildcats vs Bearcats Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Arizona has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 85 points per game.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Bearcats offense has averaged 68 points per game while allowing an average of 67. Cincinnati posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 6-4 ATS.
• The Wildcats have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
• The last ten games that Cincinnati was favored, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 8-2 straight up.

Wildcats vs Bearcats Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Bearcats to win, and have the projected score sitting at 80-66. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Bearcats at -2.5.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 147.5 and our model has the Wildcats and Bearcats finishing with a combined 146 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.