Cincinnati may have missed a chance to clinch the AAC tournament championship, but it still has a chance to grab a bigger title in the national tournament. The road won’t come easy, though, as they face the Big Ten’s Purdue Boilermakers in the Round of 64.
The Boilermakers punched their ticket to the Big Dance with a handful of big wins in the regular season. Can they make it further into the tournament by derailing eighth-seeded Cincinnati?
Get plenty more NCAA Tournament action with our complete previews for North Carolina State vs. LSU and Oregon vs. Oklahoma State.
[sc:MarchMadness ]March Madness No. 8 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 9 Purdue Boilermakers Preview
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky
When: Friday, March 20, 7:10 PM ET
Line: Cincinnati Bearcats (+1) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (-1); total: 118.5 – view all March Madness lines
Betting on the Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats have quite the resume. They defeated tough tournament-bound teams such as San Diego State, SMU, NC State and Temple in the regular season. But they were unimpressive in the conference tournament opener, falling to UConn 57-54 on March 13.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The Bearcats were geared for a win in that game. They shot 45 percent from the field and outrebounded UConn 37-27. But they committed 11 turnovers, eight more than UConn.
Turnovers have been a constant thorn on Cincinnati’s side this season. The Bearcats commit 12.8 turnovers per game (202nd in the nation). Their top two scorers in Octavious Ellis and Troy Caupain are the main culprits, leading the team with 2.2 and 2.1 turnovers per game respectively.
While Cincinnati might commit plenty of turnovers, it does take advantage of precious scoring opportunities. Cincinnati ranks in the top 100 in the nation in field goal percentage this season (45 percent). Leading scorer Ellis has been lights out in the frontcourt averaging 10 points per game on 58 percent shooting.
The Bearcats own one of the best defenses in the nation (sixth), limiting opponents to just 55.3 points per game. They also rank 16th with 5.4 blocks per game. Their type of lockdown defense may be enough to slow down Purdue’s high-scoring ways.
Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last six games.
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Betting on the Purdue Boilermakers
The Big Ten is a shark tank full of contenders for the national championship. The Purdue Boilermakers managed to finish third in the conference during the regular season with an impressive 12-6 record. But they were helpless in the conference tournament semifinals against Wisconsin, losing 71-51.
When Purdue gets going, though, it’s pretty hard to stop. The Boilermakers’ unselfish style of play allows them to score from anywhere on the floor. They’re ranked 37th in the nation in assists per game (14.9), and 99th in points per game (70).
Raphael Davis, Jon Octeus and Vince Edwards are all averaging more than two assists per game this season to keep Purdue’s offense flowing. Purdue’s ability to find the open man should help create scoring opportunities against the tight defense of Cincinnati.
The Boilermakers have a competent cast of players capable of exploiting possible defensive lapses. A.J. Hammons and the aforementioned Davis are averaging 11.8 and 10.9 points per game respectively. Three other players are averaging more than eight points per game for Purdue.
Purdue has won nine of its last 10 games as a favorite, including eight straight heading into this contest.
Writer’s Prediction
Purdue finds just enough open shots to win and cover -1.
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