The Big East meets the Big 12 when Cincinnati messes with Texas in the East Regional 6-11 game Friday afternoon.
The Bearcats, who got an at-large bid after tying for fourth place in the Big East, are favored by two points over the Longhorns, who only went 9-9 in the Big 12 this season but still made the tournament for the 14th consecutive season.
The OVER is 7-1 in the past 8 tournament games for Texas.
This matchup is a neutral-site affair being played at Bridgestone Arena.
The Bearcats are 24-10 so far on the season, and 15-13 ATS vs. the number. The Longhorns, meanwhile, are 20-13 and 10-18 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Cincinnati go 13-15 and the Longhorns go 14-14 on the totals.
View Texas vs Cincinnati Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Texas opened as 2.5-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark, including Sportsbook. The total was at 129.5 at Sportsbook earlier.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 48-rated Bearcats and the No. 47-ranked Longhorns, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark. Prediction formulas run on this game indicate a possible 75-74 result in favor of the Bearcats.
How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Cincinnati's No. 165-ranked scoring average of 68.5 PPG, against a Longhorns defense rated No. 174 and allowing 66.8 PPG. The Bearcats FG% has averaged 42% to date this season, less than the Longhorns shooters have managed so far (43.6% per game).
Defensively, Texas features the nation's No. 299-rated defense on the road, allowing 76 points per game. Cincinnati, meanwhile, comes in at No. 193 nationally in scoring at home.
Texas was an 81-67 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Missouri. They failed to cover the 5.5-point spread as underdogs. The Longhorns got 21 points from J'Covan Brown, but it was Missouri that prevailed in an 81-67 final on Friday at Sprint Center.
Cincinnati was a 50-44 loser in their most recent outing at home against Louisville. They failed to cover the 3.5-point spread as underdogs. Cashmere Wright scored 16 points in a futile effort to lead the Bearcats to a win (they lost 50-44 to Louisville at Madison Square Garden on Saturday).
Texas Longhorns Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
After playing Missouri are 6-4
After a loss are 6-4
Cincinnati Bearcats Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
After playing Louisville are 3-7
After a loss are 8-2
A few Longhorns at Bearcats trends to consider:
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
