The Cincinnati Bearcats will start their 2020-21 college basketball campaign Wednesday, December 2, when they host the Lipscomb Bisons for the non-conference showdown at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I’ve prepared the best betting picks for the Bisons versus Bearcats clash, as two schools take on each other for the first time since 2016. The Bearcats have easily won both their encounters with the Bisons thus far and will look to extend their streak Wednesday with the tip-off at 5:00 PM ET.
The Bisons want to bounce back from a narrow loss at Tulane
The Lipscomb Bisons opened the 2020-21 CBB season with a 76-73 victory over the Lamar Cardinals this past Saturday. They failed to cover a 9-point spread and almost blew a 17-point lead, but the Bisons withstood pressure down the stretch to save the day.
However, Lipscomb dropped its next game on Sunday, suffering a 68-66 defeat to the Tulane Green Wave as a 1-point fave on DraftKings. The Bisons were trailing for most of the second half and didn’t deserve to come out on top.
Junior center Ansan Asadullah is leading the way for Lipscomb at the start of the new season. After posting 15 points, five boards, and seven assists in a victory over Lamar, Asadullah had 13 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists against Tulane.
Last season, Asadullah was averaging 18.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The Bisons went 16-16 overall and 9-7 in the conference play to finish third in the Atlantic Sun Conference. They were No. 254 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 247 in the KenPom rankings.
The Bearcats look for another successful season
The Cincinnati Bearcats enter the 2020-21 college basketball season as the reigning AAC co-champions, looking to replicate their success. The Bearcats went 20-10 overall last season while tallying a 13-5 record in the conference play.
They were No. 51 in the NCAA NET Rankings, but the coronavirus pandemic wrapped up the season in March and prevented the Bearcats’ appearance in the Big Dance. Cincinnati was a No. 44 in the final KenPom rankings, scoring 108.8 points per 100 possessions (59th in the country) and allowing 94.7 in a return (51st).
The Bearcats lost their top scorer from the previous season, as senior Jarron Cumberland was tallying 15.5 points per game along with 3.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists. At least, they return guard Keith Williams (12.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG) and center Chris Vogt (11.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG).
Trends:
Lipscomb:
- 1-4 ATS in the last five games overall
- 5-8 ATS in the last 13 games on the road
Cincinnati:
- N/A
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”ncaab/cincinnati” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]The Winner Prediction
The Bearcats are 0-5 ATS in their last five outings on the road, and they’ve covered only once in their previous eight contests overall. Despite these betting trends, I’m going with the hosts to cover, as they are a better team than Lipscomb.
Cincinnati should be keen to start the season on the right foot. The Bearcats have enough defensive weapons to cope with Ansan Asadullah which should be a key factor in this clash. Also, the Bearcats’ depth could make the difference, as Lipscomb often uses just seven players in its rotation.
Pick: Take Cincinnati and the points
The Total:
The Bearcats played some tough defense last season and should continue with a strong performance in John Brannen’s second season at their helm. As well as Lipscomb, Cincinnati doesn’t like to play at a fast pace, so I suggest you take the under on the totals.
Six of Cincinnati’s last nine home contests went in the under. Also, the under is 7-5 in Lipscomb’s previous 12 outings away from home, and it is 3-2 in the Bisons’ last five games overall.
Pick: Go over