The No. 5 Cincinnati Bearcats (23-3, 12-1 AAC) will try to extend their nine-game home winning streak in a matchup against the No. 19 Wichita State Shockers (20-5, 10-3 AAC) at BB&T Arena. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 141 points with Cincinnati set as a 6-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN.
Wichita State Shockers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Preview
In the Shockers last game, they were victorious over the Temple Owls, 93-86. With 23 points and 13 rebounds, Shaquille Morris had a solid outing for Wichita State. Wichita State dominated every stat category in the game. They had a fantastic free throw rate of 0.418 (above their season average of 0.240) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 31.0 (below their season average of 35.1). Temple put up marks of 0.203 and 16.7, respectively, for those same stats.
The Bearcats are hoping for a better outcome after their 67-62 loss to the Houston Cougars in their last game. Jacob Evans III was Cincinnati’s leading scorer with 16 points on 3-for-9 shooting. Houston held the Bearcats to an offensive rebounding percentage of 26.5 (below their season average of 39.0). Cincinnati, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of getting to and converting from the charity stripe (24-32; 75.0 percent).
This meeting figures to be a shootout as two of the nations top offenses square off. Cincinnati ranks 40th with 113.3 points per 100 possessions and Wichita State is sixth (119.9). Also, the Shockers commit the 43rd-fewest errors in the nation (turnover percentage of 16.5 percent), while the disruptive defense of the Bearcats causes the 14th-most (opponents turnover percentage of 23.3 percent).
These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Games involving Wichita State have gone over 60.9 percent of the time, while 63.6 percent of Cincinnati games have finished under. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Bearcats have a clear advantage. They are 23-3 SU and 14-9 ATS, while the Shockers are 20-5 SU and 11-12 ATS.
Wichita State Shockers at Cincinnati Bearcats Free Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – Cincinnati, ATS Winner – Cincinnati, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Shockers rank third in rebounds per game (41.6) while the Bearcats rank 31st in rebounds allowed per game (31.7).
- Cincinnati ranks 203rd in three pointers attempted per game (20.5) while Wichita State ranks 223rd in three pointers allowed per game (23.8).
- Cincinnati ranks 29th in steals per game (7.7) while Wichita State ranks 230th (4.7).
- The Bearcats average 5.5 blocks per game, which ranks 11th in the NCAA. The Shockers rank 105th in blocks allowed per game (3.3).
- Wichita State is third in the NCAA with 19.2 assists per game while Cincinnati is 35th with 16.2 assists per game.
Betting Trends:
- The Bearcats average margin of victory in their last five games has been 15.0, down from 19.6 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Shockers have scored an average of 88.4 points per game (4.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 75.4 points per game (5.2 above their season average).
