It's a matinee AAC showdown when the Memphis Tigers visit the Connecticut Huskies on Sunday. Memphis (17-7) has lost two in a row and comes off a 92-86 setback in overtime in a critical game against Cincinnati on Thursday that left the Tigers' NCAA Tournaments hopes hanging by a thread. The Huskies (13-11) have won two of their past three but suffered a 79-75 loss to SMU on Wednesday. The Tigers play stifling defense and have a strong seven-man rotation, while the Huskies have struggled through their final AAC slate before bolting for the Big East.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET at XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The Huskies are four-point favorites in the latest Memphis vs. UConn odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 138.5. Before considering any Connecticut vs. Memphis picks or college basketball predictions, be sure to see what the proven SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has crushed its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread the past three years, returning $2,770 to $100 players. It also entered Week 15 of the 2019-20 season on a 42-27 run on all top-rated college basketball picks. Anybody who followed it has seen some huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Memphis vs. UConn. You can visit SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Connecticut vs. Memphis:
- Memphis vs. UConn spread: Huskies -4
- Memphis vs. UConn over-under: 138.5
- Memphis vs. UConn money line: Huskies -185, Tigers +152
- UCONN: G James Bouknight has topped 20 points in three consecutive games.
- MEM: G Lester Quinones is averaging 15.8 points over the last four games.
Why UConn can cover
UConn is 14-8-2 against the spread this season, and senior Christian Vital makes a difference with his effort and leadership. He leads the team with 14.2 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 6.3 rebounds. Vital also averages 2.5 steals and takes the majority of the 3-pointers, shooting 31.7 percent on 139 tries. Freshman James Bouknight is rounding back into form, averaging 12 points, and he scored 17 in the last meeting with Memphis.
The Huskies, who are 10-3 overall and 7-4-2 against the spread at home, also have size up front, with 6-foot-11 Josh Carlton and 6-9 freshman Akok Akok combining for 14.3 points and 12.2 rebounds. Akok also blocks 2.7 shots per game, while Carlton swats away 1.2.
Why Memphis can cover
Even so, the Huskies aren't a lock to cover the Memphis vs. UConn spread. Memphis is 14-10 against the spread this season, and the Tigers have a star in freshman Precious Achiuwa. The Huskies have struggled to stop forwards with size, and Achiuwa is one of the conference's best, averaging 15 points and 10.2 rebounds and blocking 1.8 shots per game. Lance Thomas, a 6-9 sophomore, averages four points, but gave UConn trouble in a 70-63 Tigers' win two weeks ago, putting up 14.
The Tigers, who are 4-2 against the spread this season after a loss, block 6.3 shots per game, and they had 10 in the previous meeting against the Huskies, led by Thomas with five. Freshman guard Lester Quinones is second in scoring at 11.1 after putting up 18 in the loss to Cincinnati, and he shoots 36.3 percent on 88 3-pointers.
How to make Memphis vs. UConn picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, and the simulations call for the Tigers' Achiuwa to get a full rebound and almost a point above his average and three Huskies to hit double figures. The model also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Connecticut vs. Memphis? And which side of the spread is hitting well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Memphis vs. UConn spread to jump on Sunday, all from the advanced model on a 42-27 run on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.