Memphis Tigers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Preview
Where: Fifth Third Arena — Cincinnati, Ohio
When: Thursday, February 23, 2017, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Memphis Tigers (+14) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (-14); total: 130.5 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
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Betting on the Memphis Tigers (18-9, 8-6 AAC)
Memphis isn’t having a great season, but this team’s competed well enough to be respected and potentially finish as the third-best team in the American Athletic Conference.
The Tigers are 18-9 overall and are 8-6 in conference play, which is just a game short of the third seed behind Houston and UConn—both are 9-5 at present. And speaking of the Huskies, Memphis was three points short of pulling off a major road win against them last week, 65-62.
A win there could have boosted the Tigers’ chances to sneak into the Big Dance, but they now hope to get one against No. 15 Cincinnati this time around. It’s going to be a lot harder in doing so versus a solid, all-around team like the Bearcats. Nevertheless, Mike Norvell’s group has a number of capable weapons who can get hot, namely in Dedric Lawson.
Lawson is averaging team-highs of 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season, and has also scored in double digits in his previous five games. But can he, or any of his teammates, overcome a Cincy defense that ranks seventh in the nation in points allowed (60.9)?
Betting on the Cincinnati Bearcats (24-3, 13-1 AAC)
No. 15 Cincinnati has its eyes set on winning the AAC, or at least sharing the conference crown with 17th-ranked SMU. The Bearcats are a half-game behind the No. 1 spot and have four remaining games, including this primetime showdown against Memphis.
It’s the first and only meeting between the two teams, and Cincy’s come out on top in four of the previous six encounters. The Tigers, however, won the most recent one last season, serving as a good reminder for the Bearcats to not take this game lightly.
They need to seize control from the get-go, mainly through their rock-solid defense that’s allowed no more than 68 points in the past seven contests. Cincinnati went 6-1 in that stretch, with the lone loss coming against the then-No. 25 Mustangs.
Offensively, things should click with Kyle Washington and Jacob Evans leading the show. Both are generating at least 13 points per game this season, and have posted 10 or more points each in their last four contests.
Writer’s Prediction
Cincinnati (-14) wins, 72-60.
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