The South Carolina State Bulldogs (2-12) head to Fifth Third Arena to square off with the Cincinnati Bearcats (10-2). The Bulldogs can put an end to a 12-game road losing streak. Action begins at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 22, 2018, and can be seen on ESPN 3.
South Carolina State Bulldogs at Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Odds
In their last contest, the Bearcats were beaten by the Ohio State Buckeyes, 64-56, while the Bulldogs easily got past the Brevard College Tornados, 99-51.
South Carolina State dominated every stat category in the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 60.0 and a turnover percentage of 17.5. For those same stats, Brevard College put up marks of 25.0 and 33.4, respectively. Cincinnati, on the other hand, had a much better turnover percentage (12.3 vs. 18.7). Jarron Cumberland played a key role for Cincinnati with 22 points. Ozante Fields led the way for South Carolina State, putting up 15 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bulldogs’ Damni Applewhite has been playing well over his last five games, averaging 0 points per game. Meanwhile, Cumberland has averaged 0 points during that same time frame for the Bearcats.
The productive offense of Cincinnati (43rd in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 114.2) will face off against the bottom-tier defense of South Carolina State (332nd in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 112.9). The Bearcats figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball. It could also be a mistake-prone game for the offense of the Bulldogs, which ranks 280th in ball protection (turnover percentage of 20.9 percent). They’ll be going up against the top-notch defense of the Bearcats, which forces the 28th-most turnovers in the nation (23.5 percent).
South Carolina State Bulldogs at Cincinnati Bearcats Free Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Cincinnati, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Cincinnati ranks 24th in assists allowed per game (10.3) while South Carolina State ranks 189th (15.3).
- The Bearcats allow the fourth-fewest rebounds per game (28.7) while the Bulldogs rank 59th (32.8).
- Cincinnati ranks 268th in three pointers attempted per game (15.8) while South Carolina State ranks 273rd (14.6).
- The Bearcats rank 28th in blocks per game (4.9) while the Bulldogs rank 165th (2.0).
- Cincinnati ranks fourth in steals allowed per game (4.2) while South Carolina State ranks 78th (6.1).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Bearcats have scored an average of 70.4 points per game (3.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 57.0 points per game (1.2 below their season average).
- The Bulldogs’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 6.8, down from 9.9 for the season.
