Number 11 UConn heads to Chicago to face unranked DePaul on New Year’s Day. The game is at 2:00 PM ET on CBS Sports Network. Can UConn cover the 11.5-point spread as road favorites? Keep reading for our UConn vs. DePaul prediction.
The UConn Huskies are 10-3 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 6-6-1 ATS this season.
The DePaul Blue Demons are 9-4 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 7-6 ATS this season.
UConn vs. DePaul Matchup & Betting Odds
679 UConn Huskies (-11.5) at 680 DePaul Blue Demons (+11.5); o/u 146.5
2:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL
TV: CBS Sports Network
UConn vs. DePaul Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 57% of public bettors are currently backing DePaul when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
UConn Huskies Game Notes
Huskies forward Alex Karaban was outstanding in his team’s 78-74 win over Butler on December 21st. In that game, the junior from Southborough, MA recorded 21 points, 6 rebounds, a steal, and a blocked shot. Karaban shot 7 of 16 from the floor and 4 of 9 from long distance in the victory.
UConn forward Liam McNeeley also played well in his team’s game 11 days ago. The 6’7” freshman put up 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 made three-pointers. McNeeley is second on the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game this year.
DePaul Blue Demons Game Notes
Blue Demons forward NJ Benson notched a double-double in his team’s 84-65 win over Loyola Maryland this past Saturday. The Missouri State transfer logged 22 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and 2 blocked shots. Benson shot 10 of 14 from the field and 2 of 4 from the foul line in the win.
DePaul guard Jacob Meyer was also solid in his team’s game on Saturday. The Coastal Carolina transfer registered 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals across 23 minutes of playing time. Meyer is leading the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game on the campaign.
UConn vs. DePaul CBB Betting Trends
UConn is 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
The under is 28-23-2 in UConn’s games since the start of last season.
The over is 25-20 in DePaul’s games since the beginning of last season.
DePaul is 20-16 ATS with the rest disadvantage since the start of the 2021 season.
UConn vs. DePaul CBB Prediction:
Over the past few seasons, UConn has been a covering machine. Since the start of the 2022 campaign, the Huskies are 61-29-2 ATS overall. That’s the second-best record in Division I basketball over that stretch. As a response, oddsmakers have started to bump up UConn’s lines a bit more this season. This has been especially true in conference play.
UConn was favored by 13.5 points over Xavier at home on December 18th. The Huskies won 94-89 but didn’t cover. UConn was then favored by 8.5 points on the road against Butler on December 21st. UConn won that game 78-74 but again didn’t cover. I could see a similar outcome occurring on Wednesday, where UConn does end up winning, just not by enough to cover the spread.
I think DePaul will be the less rusty team of the two squads. The Blue Demons last played on December 28th while UConn hasn’t played since the aforementioned game on December 21st. In what will likely be a hard-fought game, I’m taking DePaul and the points at home in this one.