Nine-seed Northwestern and 1-seed UConn both remain in Brooklyn to face each other on Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is at 7:45 PM ET on truTV. Can Northwestern cover the 14-point spread as neutral site underdogs? Keep reading for our Northwestern vs. UConn prediction.
The Northwestern Wildcats are 22-11 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 18-13-2 ATS this season.
The UConn Huskies are 32-3 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 23-12 ATS this season.
Northwestern vs. UConn Matchup & Betting Odds
825 Northwestern Wildcats (+14) vs. 826 UConn Huskies (-14); o/u 135.5
7:45 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 24, 2024
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
TV: truTV
Northwestern vs. UConn Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 58% of public bettors are currently backing Northwestern when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Northwestern Wildcats Game Notes
Northwestern guard Ryan Langborg was magnificent in his team’s 77-65 first-round win over Florida Atlantic on Friday. In that game, the 6’4” senior from San Diego amassed 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He converted 11 of 19 shots from the field and 3 of 8 from long range.
Wildcats senior guard Boo Buie was also spectacular in his team’s victory on Friday. The 6’2” Albany, New York product rang up 22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. Buie leads Northwestern in scoring with 19.3 points per game this year.
UConn Huskies Game Notes
UConn center Donovan Clingan was virtually unstoppable in his team’s 91-52 first-round win over Stetson on Friday. In that contest, the 7’2” sophomore from Bristol, Connecticut racked up 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal. Clingan is averaging 12.7 points per game this year.
Huskies guard Tristen Newton was efficient and effective against the Hatters on Friday. Newton recorded 13 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 made three-pointers to help spur his team to victory. Newton leads the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game on the campaign.
Northwestern vs. UConn CBB Betting Trends
Northwestern is 5-7-1 ATS when playing an opponent on equal rest this season.
The over is 18-14-1 in Northwestern’s games this season.
UConn is 8-4 ATS in non-conference games this season.
UConn is 7-1 ATS in neutral site games this year.
Northwestern vs. UConn CBB Prediction:
There is a clear gap between these two teams. To wit, UConn is ranked first in the nation in adjusted efficiency margin according to Kenpom.com, while Northwestern is ranked 40th in the country in that same metric. The Huskies have been one of the best teams against the number all season. UConn is 23-11 ATS as a favorite and 20-11 ATS after a win this season.
Furthermore, The Huskies are 7-4 ATS when playing an opponent on equal rest this year and 5-0 ATS when playing an opponent on 1 day of rest since the start of last season. Most significantly, UConn is 7-0 ATS in NCAA Tournament games since the start of last season. That’s the best mark in the country over that span. The Huskies have the talent, experience, and coaching to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament and I think they show out and win big on Sunday. I’m laying the points with UConn.