Kansas State vs. Cincinnati Pick
Can No. 6 Cincinnati avoid being upset by No. 11 Kansas State when the two meet up tonight at 7:27PM ET in the NCAA Tournament?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Cincinnati is the slight favorite in this game, as the Bearcats are getting odds of -3.5 points against Kansas State. The over/under total for the game is listed at 129.5 points. This game will take part in the South Region and air on TruTV from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
NCAA BB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Cincinnati is coming off a 71-56 loss to SMU in the AAC Tournament. The Bearcats went 29-5 during the season and finished second in the conference during the year. Cincy went 16-14-1 against the spread this season and was just 7-8-1 ATS away from home. Cincinnati averaged 74.5 points per game on offense this season while allowing just 60.8 on defense. Jacob Evans and Kyle Washington are each averaging over 12 points per game this season to lead the team while Washington also adds 6.9 rebounds per game.
Kansas State earned a spot in today’s game by beating Wake Forest on Tuesday night, 95-88, in the First Four. The Wildcats are now 21-13 on the season and they have covered in their last five to move to 16-12-2 against the spread on the season. That includes an impressive 12-6 ATS away from home. K-State is averaging 72.4 points per game on the season while allowing 67.6 on defense. Wesley Iwundu is leading the team with 12.9 points per game while three others are scoring 11 points per contest.
There is a history of play-in winners going on to winning in the next round of the tournament, but I don’t think it is going to happen here. Cincinnati is a great defensive team and the Bearcats should have a chip on their shoulder for being just a 6 seed after winning 29 games. The committee seems to be overlooking the AAC in general with SMU also getting a 6 seed. I like the Bearcats to lock down on defense and pick up a comfy win over Kansas State today.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: CINCINNATI -3.5