On Wednesday, the Connecticut Huskies and Auburn Tigers meet in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. This is going to be a very exciting tournament, so you’ll want to strap in if you’re a college basketball fan. This is also a matchup between two ranked and undefeated teams, so this should be a good one.
Will the Huskies improve to 5-0 on the season or will the Tigers pull off the small upset and improve to 4-0? Continue reading our best free college basketball betting picks and predictions to see how Connecticut vs. Auburn goes.
UConn vs Auburn odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Auburn opened as a 3.5-point underdog and the line hasn’t moved very much. The Tigers are down to 3-point dogs in some places, though. That’s despite the fact that most of the beats are on Connecticut. The total opened at 143.5 and is now at either 143 or 142.5, which is a small but significant movement when considering the action is split. Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
UConn vs Auburn predictions
Predictions made on 11/24/2021 at 1:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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UConn vs Auburn game info
• Location: Imperial Arena, Nassau, Bahamas
• Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2021
• Tip-off: 2:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
UConn at Auburn betting preview
Injuries
UConn: Corey Floyd Jr. G (Out).
Auburn: Allen Flanigan G (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Auburn is 8-3 against the spread in its last 11 neutral-court games. Find more NCAA betting trends for UConn vs. Auburn.
UConn vs Auburn picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Auburn is missing Allen Flanigan, but the team is still plenty talented. Forward Jabari Smith, who is averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, is arguably the best player Bruce Pearl has had in his eight years at Auburn. That’s saying a lot considering Pearl has coached Isaac Okoro, Sharife Cooper, and Chuma Okeke.
Smith, who is capable of impacting the game in a huge way on both ends of the floor, is going to be a huge factor against the Huskies. The forward will make life difficult for UConn forward Adama Sanogo, who is one of the best offensive players the Huskies have. Smith is also a massive body who can step out and hit the three, which is going to help space the floor for the Tigers’ slashers to get to the basket.
There’s no denying that the Huskies have more experience, but Auburn has a skilled group that isn’t going to back down. Keep a close eye on Georgia transfer K.D. Johnson. The sophomore is averaging 15.0 points per game and he’s going to be amped up on Wednesday night. Johnson has what it takes to hold his own in a matchup with Huskies guard R.J. Cole, and that would be massive for Pearl’s team.
Overall, not much separates these teams. Connecticut is the 22nd-best team in the league in adjusted efficiency (all efficiency stats from KenPom.com), while Auburn is 30th. With that said, this spread is good value for the Tigers, as this could easily come down to the final buzzer.
Prediction: Auburn +3.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The season is obviously still extremely young, but both teams have been great defensively. UConn is the 19th-ranked team in adjusted defensive efficiency and Auburn isn’t far behind at 34th in the nation.
While there will be a ton of offensive talent on the floor in this game, it’s also the first time that either of these programs has played in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. There should be a lot of nerves at tip-off, and that could lead to a bunch of missed shots and turnovers early in the contest. Under head coach Dan Hurley, the Under is 8-5 when UConn has played in neutral-court games, so this environment has impacted his team’s offense in the past.
The Under is also 8-3 when Auburn has played against teams that average at least 84 points per game with Pearl at the helm. The Tigers also no longer have point guard Sharife Cooper, who was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 NBA Draft, so they could be a bit shell-shocked when trying to create offense in big games.
Prediction: Under 143.5 (-113)
Best bet
Under Pearl, Auburn is 13-4 against the spread when playing as a neutral-court underdog — or a pick’em game. This is a coach who knows how to get the most out of his players in a tournament setting, which is part of the reason the Tigers made a Final Four run back in 2018-19. Auburn is also 9-2 against the spread against teams that average at least 84 points per game since Pearl took over.
Experience is crucial in games like this, but having the right coach matters. Hurley is certainly a great leader of young players, but Auburn is more talented than Connecticut and Pearl knows how to push the right buttons.
Pick: Auburn +3.5 (-110)
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