The DePaul Blue Demons gave us one of our first “This is March!” moments of the season. The Blue Demons were dead last in the Big East, going just 2-13 in conference play before Wednesday night’s 70-62 upset win over Providence as 6.5-point underdogs.
But things won’t get any easier as they take on the Connecticut Huskies as 13.5-point underdogs in the quarterfinals of the Big East conference tournament.
Check out our best free DePaul vs. Connecticut picks and predictions for college basketball action on Thursday, March 11, with tipoff at 9:00 p.m. ET.
DePaul vs Connecticut odds
Sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonUConn moved from -13 to -12.5, which is where the number rests as of 6 p.m. ET at TwinSpires. DePaul is taking 56 percent of tickets and 64 percent of money, and for the moment, the book is rooting for the double-digit favorite. The total is up a point to 134.5, with 57 percent of bets/68 percent of cash on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameDePaul Blue Demons vs Connecticut Huskies betting preview
Injuries
DePaul: Oscar Lopez Jr. G (Questionable).
Connecticut: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Huskies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite. Find more NCAA betting trends for DePaul vs. Connecticut.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
DePaul rode big games from Charlie Moore and Javon Freeman-Liberty, as each put up 21 points in the Blue Demons upset win, but can they do it again versus UConn?
The Huskies ended the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the Big East, going 6-1 in their last seven games, including the last four in a row. But not only is UConn winning games, but it has also been a great bet as well, going 6-0-1 ATS in that span.
I wonder if that hot streak has anything to do with the return of James Bouknight? UConn is 5-1 (5-0-1 ATS) since the sophomore guard has returned from injury, where he has averaged 20 points on 49.4 percent shooting from the floor, while adding 5.8 rebounds per game. Want a fun betting stat? The Huskies have failed to cover the spread just once this season when Bouknight plays and are 9-0-1 ATS in the last 10 games with him in the lineup.
That includes a matchup against DePaul back on Dec. 20 which the Huskies won 82-61 as 8.5-point favorites. UConn also won the second matchup against the Blue Demons without Bouknight, covering this time as 4-point favorites.
While DePaul is a good story, this is still a team that just won its fifth game of the season. The Blue Demons clearly got a boost from the return of Freeman-Liberty, but he played in both UConn games with limited effectiveness.
This is just a bad spot for DePaul going against a UConn team that is playing its best basketball of the season and one that no one will want to play in the NCAA Tournament.
PREDICTION: Connecticut -13.0 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
When it comes to the total, DePaul and UConn played to the Under in both of their meetings this season. The first game (in which Bouknight played) snuck below the 144 total by just one point, while the second matchup (in which Bouknight didn’t) stayed a whopping 27 points below the 140 total.
With Bouknight back for this one, we're leaning towards a result similar to the first meeting. The Huskies are averaging 75.7 points over their last seven games and even though the Blue Demons have a respectable defense, they clearly struggle against better teams. In seven games against the Top 5 teams in the Big East, they have allowed 74.1 points per game.
While DePaul’s offense has definitely struggled this season, getting Freeman-Liberty back provides some stability and the Blue Demons have put up 70-plus points in the last two games. With a total of 133.5, we like this one to go Over.
PREDICTION: Over 133.5 (-110)
DePaul vs Connecticut betting card
- Connecticut -13.0 (-110)
- Over 133.5 (-110)
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