Bryant vs Cincinnati Odds
| Bryant Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+20.5 -110 | 153.5 -110o / -110u | +1200 |
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-20.5 -110 | 153.5 -110o / -110u | -3000 |
The Bryant Bulldogs already have one upset over FAU under their belt. Is another in-store against the Cincinnati Bearcats, who want revenge following Saturday's Crosstown Shootout loss to Xavier?
Bryant is the strangest team — results-wise — in college hoops to begin the season. It lost two games as double-digit favorites to Boston University and Manhattan and beat FAU in Boca.
Elsewhere, the Bearcats have jumped from 53rd to 30th in KenPom since the season started. Before narrowly knocking off Howard in overtime, Cincy beat its first five opponents by 11+ points and impressively hammered Georgia Tech by 34 points.
Blowing out bad teams is a key factor in Cincy's metric rankings.
Bryant Bulldogs
Head coach Phil Martelli Jr. was pressed into action unexpectedly when Jared Grasso resigned before the season started.
Martelli's philosophy shows some similarities and differences from Grasso's. In the similarity front, Bryant ranks 24th in Adjusted Tempo, so the Bulldogs' identity of getting out and running holds firm.
On the other end, Bryant plays man defense on 80% of defensive possessions, which is significantly higher than the 46% marker from last year. The switch to man is paying dividends, as Bryant ranks 102nd in Defensive Efficiency (per KenPom) and has allowed less than 70 points in all four wins against D-I opponents.
Bryant plays quickly, but the roster isn't built for the style it plays. If Bryant focused more on letting the burly Earl Timberlake and athletic wing Rafael Pinzon attack the rim, it would open up the perimeter shooting. Bryant isn't very good offensively, ranking just 305th in Offensive Efficiency.
That's a vast difference from prior Bryant teams.
If mid-major teams want to compete in road environments against high-major opponents, their best players need to step up. Sherif Gross-Bullock is the guy for Bryant, as he's averaging over 16 points with the capability to rattle off 25+ points on any night.
Gross-Bullock needs an outstanding performance for Bryant to make Cincinnati sweat for 40 minutes.
Cincinnati Bearcats
One major reason for Cincy's great start is 6-foot-11 center Viktor Lakhin. He's averaging 15.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and has 14+ points in six consecutive games, including 26 against Eastern Washington.
The Bearcats' game plan needs to feature Lakhin early and often against Bryant's smaller front line. It's smart if Bryant goes zone — to double the post and force more outside jumpers.
Also, Cincinnati's biggest weakness is shooting. Simas Lukosius and CJ Fredrick are two newcomers who should fix Cincy's shooting problems, but neither have shot the ball well consistently.
That's the key to watch for Cincinnati in a game where it's the heavy favorite. Shooting is vital in college basketball, and Cincy is looking for its answer on the perimeter.
Maybe it's Jizzle James after his strong outing against Xavier. The former top-50 recruit is Cincy's highest-upside guard, so letting him get familiar with the college game is valuable.
Bryant vs. Cincinnati
Betting Pick & Prediction
Bryant has faced three high-major opponents: FAU, Xavier and Rutgers. Two of the three games went under, as the matchups against the Owls and Scarlet Knights were slogs.
I have serious questions about how Bryant scores the ball against Cincinnati's elite rim-protection, led by 7-footer Aziz Bandaogo.
Cincy turns the ball over only 12% of the time, which means Bryant's offense will mainly operate in the half-court.
We know Bryant isn't a good shooting team, and the Bulldogs likely won't drive much against Cincinnati's defense. Thus, I see little scoring coming from Bryant's offense. Plus, Bryant's defense can limit Cincinnati's offense enough for the total to tilt under.
Play: Under 151.5 (Play to 150)
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