Big East contenders renew their rivalry after an eight-year pause when the Seton Hall Pirates battle the host Connecticut Huskies on Saturday. The teams last met on Feb. 10, 2013, a 78-67 UConn win, before the Huskies left the conference for the American Athletic Conference. UConn (8-3) has returned to the Big East this season and is fourth in the league at 5-3. Seton Hall (10-8), which is fifth in the conference at 7-5, snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday with a 60-43 win at Providence. Senior forward Tyler Polley of the Huskies suffered a torn ACL in a recent practice and will miss the rest of the season.
Tip-off from Gampel Pavilion in Mansfield, Conn., is set for noon ET. UConn leads the all-time series 45-18, including a 22-6 edge in games played at Mansfield. The Huskies are one-point favorites in the latest Seton Hall vs. UConn odds, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 134.5. Before making any UConn vs. Seton Hall picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,300 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Seton Hall vs. Connecticut. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Connecticut vs. Seton Hall:
- Seton Hall vs. UConn spread: UConn -1
- Seton Hall vs. UConn over-under: 134.5 points
- Seton Hall vs. UConn money line: Seton Hall -112, UConn -112
- SH: Is 11-4 in Big East Conference road games over the past two seasons
- UC: Has won or shared 10 regular-season Big East titles and has won seven Big East Tournament titles, tied with Georgetown for the most
Why UConn can cover
The Huskies are expected to be without James Bouknight (elbow) for at least another game. Picking up the slack in his absence has been junior guard Tyrese Martin, who is averaging 11.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is hitting on 47.8 percent of his field goals, including 45.5 percent from 3-point range. He is coming off a 20-point effort against Butler on Jan. 26, the second time this season he has reached 20 or more.
Redshirt junior guard R.J. Cole has also had a solid year, averaging 10.9 points, 4.1 assists, three rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He has reached double figures in seven games this season, including an 18-point, five-assist performance against St. John's on Jan. 18. He sat out last season after transferring from Howard University. He earned his first start in the season opener and responded with 17 points, six assists and four steals.
Why Seton Hall can cover
The Pirates have played well on the road this season, going 8-4 with wins at Penn State and at Marquette. Three Seton Hall players are averaging in double figures, including senior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, who is averaging 17.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals. He also has 12 blocks. He is coming off a 20-point, seven-rebound performance at Providence on Wednesday. He has reached double digits in 16 times with two double-doubles. His best game was a 32-point, nine-rebound performance against St. John's on Dec. 11.
Junior guard Jared Rhoden has also put up big numbers for the Pirates and is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is connecting on 84.4 percent of his free throws and has been a weapon from the outside, hitting on 34.2 percent of his 3-pointers. He has reached double figures in 16 games, including three double-doubles. He scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a win against Georgetown on Dec. 23.
How to make Seton Hall vs. UConn picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting both teams combine for 139 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that is hitting in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Seton Hall vs. UConn? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
