Cleveland State vs. Cincinnati Pick
Will No. 20 Cincinnati have any issues at home when the Bearcats take on Cleveland State tonight at 7PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Cincinnati is the favorite in this game, as the Bearcats are getting odds of -28 points against Cleveland State. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 137 points. Tonight’s game takes place from BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky and will air live on ESPN3.
Cleveland State is coming off a 79-77 loss at Niagara on Tuesday night. The Vikings have lost three of their last four and are just 3-7 on the season. However, they have covered the spread in four of their last five and are 4-3 against the spread this year. Cleveland State is averaging only 66.4 points per game on offense while giving up 71.1 per game. Kenny Carpenter is leading the team with 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while Tyree Appleby is averaging 10.9 points per contest.
Cincinnati is riding a three-game winning streak coming into tonight’s contest. The Bearcats are now 10-2 overall while posting a 5-4 record against the spread. Cincy has covered in its last two lined games as well. The Bearcats are putting up 80.8 points per game on offense while giving up just 59.8 per contest on defense. Cincy has five players averaging double figures in scoring this season. Jacob Evans is leading the way with 14.2 points per game while Gary Clark is averaging 12 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest.
Bet on Cleveland State vs. Cincinnati
These two have not met since 1999, with Cincinnati picking up a 91-56 victory. The Bearcats are one of the best defensive teams in the country and they face a team in Cleveland State that is really struggling to score. The Bearcats aren’t an offensive power, but they have a lot of balance and should be able to find open shots against the Vikings. The public betting is siding with Cincinnati and I think the Bearcats do enough to cover behind its defense.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: CINCINNATI -28