Baylor Bears vs Cincinnati Bearcats Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Cincinnati vs Baylor NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Waco.

Cincinnati vs Baylor Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Bearcats and Bears. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Bears at Foster Pavilion in Waco, TX. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 138.5 points, and Baylor is favored by -5.5 vs. Cincinnati in a Big 12 conference matchup.

Cincinnati vs. Baylor Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Cincinnati Bearcats at Baylor Bears
Where: Waco at Foster Pavilion
Date: Tuesday, January 7th
Betting Odds BAYL -5.5, CIN +192 | BAYL -244 O/U 138.5

Bearcats Preview: Will Cincinnati Make it Happen on the Road?

Cincinnati Bearcats Recent Game/Games

The Bearcats fell to 10-3 on the season after a 72-67 home loss to Arizona on Saturday. Cincinnati, who were -3 favorites going into the game, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 139, falling short of the 146.5 O/U line.

Cincinnati found themselves down 39-26 at halftime but made a strong push in the second half, outscoring Arizona 41-33. Despite the comeback effort, they couldn’t close the gap completely.

Bearcats Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Cincinnati's offense struggled with a 39.1% field goal percentage, including just 20% from beyond the arc, hitting 5 of 25 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.8%, and they shot 52.2% from the free-throw line, making 12 of 23 attempts.

Dan Skillings Jr. led the Bearcats with 18 points, while Jaden Bradley added 15. Carter Bryant was perfect from the field, hitting all 5 of his shots, including 3 from deep. Cincinnati grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and dished out 11 assists in the game.

Bearcats Team Defense

Cincinnati’s defense gave up 72 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 39% from the field, hitting 25 of 64 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 51% shooting, as the other team made 20 of 39 two-point shots.

From three-point range, Cincinnati held their opponents to 20% shooting, with just 5 makes on 25 attempts. The team also sent their opponents to the line 23 times, where they converted 12 free throws for 52%.

Bears Preview: Does Baylor Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

Baylor’s season record dropped to 8-4 after a 74-55 road loss to Iowa State on Saturday. The Bears entered the game as +8.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 129, falling short of the 152.5-point over/under line.

Baylor trailed 33-25 at halftime and struggled to keep pace in the second half, scoring 30 points while allowing 41.

Bears Offense Breakdown

Baylor's offense struggled in their last game, scoring just 55 points with a field goal percentage of 29.7%. They connected on only 24.1% of their three-point attempts, going 7-for-29 from beyond the arc, while their effective field goal percentage was 34.4%.

Jeremy Roach and Keshon Gilbert each scored 16 points, with Gilbert adding 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Milan Momcilovic also hit 4 threes, shooting 57.1% from deep, while Josh Ojianwuna contributed 13 points and 10 boards, hitting 5 of his 6 shots.

Bears Team Defense

Despite Baylor's efforts, their defense couldn't hold the opposition, giving up 74 points on 49% shooting. They struggled to contain the three-point line, where the other team hit 10 of 21 attempts, a 47% clip.

Baylor also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 16 shots. On the boards, Baylor allowed 8 offensive rebounds.

Bearcats vs Bears Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three games away from home, the Bearcats have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 69 points per game in this stretch.
Across their five previous home games, Baylor has an ATS mark of 0-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 70 points per game.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Bearcats have a straight up record of 0-5 and an ATS mark of 3-2.
Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Baylor has an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 9-1 straight up.