UConn vs. Louisville Line at -4
The UConn vs. Louisville line has remained unchanged after opening up at -4 for Monday night’s game (February 6, 2012). To find all College Basketball lines, be sure to visit Sportsbook.com here and claim up to $250 in FREE CASH based on your initial deposit. Scroll down for my Texas-Texas A&M betting preview as well.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Louisville -4 & 131
Opening Line & Total: Cardinals -4 & 129
After grabbing its first win in 2½ weeks on Saturday, UConn looks to get a signature road victory as the Huskies travel to Louisville to take on the Cardinals in a Big East showdown on Monday night.
The Huskies snapped a four-game losing streak (SU and ATS) this weekend taking down Seton Hall 69-46 in Hartford. Louisville has been extremely inconsistent—unable to string together two wins in a row since beginning conference play. UConn will play its second consecutive game without Head Coach Jim Calhoun, who is on an indefinite leave of absence due to a severe back condition. The Huskies have lost four of their past five road games, mustering only 44 points in an ugly loss to Georgetown last Wednesday. Louisville has ramped up its play over the past two weeks, winning four consecutive games (SU and ATS) after a 2-4 start in Big East play. The Cardinals (11-8 ATS) are fully healthy for the first time all season, and the offense is really clicking at home, averaging 73.8 PPG at the KFC Yum! Center compared to just 65.6 PPG on the road. Both of these teams rebound well, but Louisville’s big men are much more effective offensively than UConn’s, and the Huskies have averaged just 38.7 percent from the field over their past five games.
Connecticut freshman Ryan Boatright (9.8 PPG, 3.5 APG) had a breakout game in Saturday’s win over Seton Hall, scoring 19 points (8-of-12 FG) and five assists. It’s been a tumultuous season for Boatright, who’s missed nine games due to a much-maligned NCAA investigation. Boatright has taken over the starting point guard role from sophomore Shabazz Napier (13.3 PGG, 5.7 APG), and the offense looks to run with more fluidity as a result. Boatright has the ability to create shots off the dribble, a spot in which Napier and sophomore Jeremy Lamb (17.6 PPG) haven’t been as successful. It will be crucial for UConn’s guards to run the offense through freshman center Andre Drummond (10.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG) and attack Louisville’s talented frontcourt. The Huskies simply don’t have the outside shooting ability to win games settling for jump shots.
Cardinals’ leading scorer Kyle Kuric (13.2 PPG) has 14 or more points in three of his past four games after an ankle injury sidelined him for two contests. With Kuric’s injury—along with Peyton Siva’s earlier in the season—the Cardinals struggled to find consistency and rhythm on offense early in the season. Look for Louisville to press a turnover-prone UConn team into early mistakes. The Cards will try to work the ball inside to sophomore center Gorgui Dieng (10.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG) and freshman forward Chane Behanan (9.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG), both of whom look better and better each game. Behanan is coming off a career-high 23 points along with 11 rebounds in Louisville’s 78-66 win over Rutgers on Saturday, and Dieng has posted double-doubles in three of his past four games.
TEXAS LONGHORNS (14-9, 4-6 Big 12) at TEXAS A&M AGGIES (12-10, 3-7 Big 12)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Texas -3 & 123.5
Opening Line & Total: Longhorns -3 & 125.5
Two struggling rivals could be meeting for the final time when Texas travels to Texas A&M on Monday night.
With the Aggies moving to the SEC next year, this long-standing rivalry could finish its final chapter on Monday. Both teams are trying to get closer to .500 in the Big 12 as Texas has dropped five of seven, while A&M has lost four of its past six games. In terms of the lines, the Horns have not won a game both SU and ATS since 2012 began, going 3-7 ATS (4-6 SU) in these 10 contests. Meanwhile, the Aggies have been quite profitable, going 7-1 ATS in their past eight games, which started with an ATS victory (10-point loss) at Texas on Jan. 11.
Texas has been ice-cold in its past five games, shooting just 40.6% from the floor. J’Covan Brown leads the team with 19.6 PPG, but he is making just 41% FG for the season and 33% FG over his past six contests. Brown was a dreadful 2-of-12 from the floor against Texas A&M, but helped his team win by going 10-for-10 from the foul line, and adding six rebounds and six assists. Freshman Julien Lewis (7.8 PPG) was the team’s high scorer in the win over the Aggies with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. But since that game, Lewis is averaging just 5.7 PPG on 31% FG and 2-of-17 from three-point land. Clint Chapman (7.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG) shined brightest for Texas in Saturday’s 74-57 rout of Texas Tech. Chapman scored a season-high 20 points and pulled down nine boards against the Red Raiders. He had 11 points and seven boards against the Aggies in January.
Texas A&M ranks 290th in the nation in scoring at 62.2 PPG and has two starters who are questionable with injuries. Khris Middleton (12.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG) has missed four straight games with a knee injury, while Dash Harris (5.8 PPG, 4.4 APG) hasn’t played in three straight games due to a foot ailment. Middleton was the best player in the earlier meeting with Texas, scoring 19 points with 10 rebounds. Elston Turner (14.3 PPG) had 13 against the Horns, and he has been the go-to scorer lately with 19.2 PPG in his past five contests. Despite the big points, Turner has not shot better than 43% in any of these five games, combining to go 30-for-80 from the field. David Loubeau also helps with the scoring load, averaging 10.8 PPG on 48% FG.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
