The Cincinnati Bearcats and DePaul Blue Demons will kick things off for the second day of the College Basketball Crown.
Both teams will leave it all on the court this afternoon, which is why my DePaul vs Cincinnati predictions expect yet another Over in this tournament.
Read all about it in my college basketball picks for April 1.
Who will win DePaul vs Cincinnati?
Cincinnati. In terms of just broad talent, the Bearcats outmatch DePaul. The combo of Jizzle James and Dillon Mitchell will be something DePaul won't have much of an answer to. The turnover problems for the Blue Demons exacerbate these issues.
Entering this game, DePaul ranks 228th in turnover percentage, and the Bearcats force turnovers at a high clip. They'll force a good chunk of them today and allow their athleticism to take over.
I have the spread almost right on the market, but Cincinnati should win with relative comfort.
DePaul vs Cincinnati prediction
My best bet: Over 144 (-110 at bet365)
As mentioned yesterday, my most decisive opinion on these opening round games was that we'd see a lot of points. Verdict? Four straight Overs, even after totals have steamed. The market has certainly taken notice, especially regarding this game.
Some totals opened as low as 137.5 and have moved almost six points since opening. That's a massive amount of movement for a non-NCAA Tournament event. But guess what? It's not enough.
Dragging the analytical projection down on this total is what you'd expect the possession total to be. These two teams play in the mid-60s on the season, so naturally, you'd expect a game in the mid-60s. But the lack of prep time and film time for these games has not been accounted for, leading to both teams being more willing to play in transition.
Just look at yesterday. Every game had over 75 possessions, by no means a low number. Consequently, each game exceeded their total MAE on BarTorvik by approximately 10.1 points.
Even a matchup like George Washington and Boise State — which saw two teams that averaged in the mid-60s in possessions per game — saw 76 possessions. Handicapping the rest of this tournament is adjusting to what you see in these environments. That's undoubtedly been a faster tempo across the board.
Of course, the matchup still matters. Each of these teams has some clear paths to scoring.
DePaul has been gutted on big cuts and rolls this season, giving up .96 points per possession on such sets. As you'd imagine, Dillion Mitchell and his 10.8 points per game in Big 12 play have been heavily involved in such sets for the Bearcats this season.
Exploiting this issue for DePaul will open up other parts of the Cincinnati offense. Conversely, the Bearcats' defense has been strong, but DePaul's elite perimeter cutting (98th percentile) can get the best of Cincinnati.
With my projections around 147, I'll happily take the Over.
DePaul vs Cincinnati same-game parlay (SGP)
Over 144.5
Cincinnati moneyline
DePaul team total Over 67.5
Cincinnati moneyline is an auto add because of everything I talked about. Its guard play will be a significant factor, and it can't be stopped from getting downhill.
I also added a non-correlated play of DePaul to exceed its team total. This one just came down to a projection differential. I see DePaul getting in transition plenty of times here, so my number is around 71.
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DePaul vs Cincinnati odds
DePaul vs Cincinnati live odds
DePaul vs Cincinnati opening odds
- Spread: DePaul +8.5 | Cincinnati -8.5
- Moneyline: DePaul +330 | Cincinnati -430
- Over/Under: Over 139.5 | Under 139.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
DePaul vs Cincinnati betting trend to know
Cincinnati has hit the game total Under in 22 of its last 32 games (+11.00 Units / 31% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for DePaul vs. Cincinnati.
How to watch DePaul vs Cincinnati
| Location | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
| Date | Tuesday, 4-1-2025 |
| Tip-off | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
DePaul vs Cincinnati key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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