Iowa vs. Cincinnati Prediction
Will the defense of No. 7 Cincinnati hold up when it takes on No. 10 Iowa in NCAA Tournament South Region play today at 12:15PM ET?
805 Iowa vs. 806 Cincinnati
Friday, March 22, 2019
12:15PM ET – Nationwide Arena
TV: CBS
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Cincinnati is the favorite in this game, as the Bearcats are getting odds of -3.5 points against Iowa. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 137.5 points. The public betting currently has 67 percent going on Cincinnati as the favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Iowa really struggling
The Hawkeyes are coming off a 74-53 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament and they have lost five of their last six games while going 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games. Iowa is 22-11 on the season, 4-1 on a neutral floor, 13-20 against the spread and 17-16 with the under.
Iowa is putting up 78.3 points per game on offense this season while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 36 percent from the arc. Defensively, Iowa struggles. The Hawkeyes are giving up 73.6 points per game while opponents shoot nearly 45 percent against them. Tyler Cook is leading the team with 14.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while Luka Garza is adding 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest.
Bearcats win AAC Tournament
Cincinnati picked up the AAC Tournament title last weekend by beating Houston, 69-57, in the final. They have won three straight and eight of their last 10 but are just 2-8 against the spread over their last 10. The Bearcats are 28-6 on the season, 5-0 on a neutral floor, 14-20 against the spread and 17-16-1 with the under.
The Bearcats are one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing just 62.2 points per game while opponents are held to 40.6 percent shooting. Offensively, Cincy is scoring just 71.7 points per game while shooting 43.2 percent. Jarron Cumberland is leading the team with 18.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while Keith Williams is adding 10.1 points per contest.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Iowa
Iowa is just 1-7 against the spread in its last eight NCAA Tournament games, but 9-1 ATS in its last 10 at a neutral site.
Cincinnati
The Bearcats are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 non-conference games and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 on a neutral floor.
Prediction:
This game could be interesting, as Iowa could really make things challenging for Cincinnati if they shoot well from the arc. The Bearcats have been a little suspect defending the arc. Still, I just don’t trust Iowa to get hot and play good defense. Cincinnati is likely to see an uptick in scoring against this Iowa defense and I think Cincinnati will do a good job of keeping the Hawkeyes from getting too comfortable on offense.
College Basketball Prediction: Cincinnati -3.5