The Arizona Wildcats and the Cincinnati Bearcats continue Big 12 Conference men’s basketball action on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. central on ESPN2. The Wildcats (7-5, 1-0 in Big 12) are not ranked in the AP Top 25 while Cincinnati (10-2, 0-1) is No. 16.
Arizona is coming off a 90-81 win over TCU in its Big 12 opener and just landed Lebron James’ son, Bryce, on the recruiting trail as a commitment. Cincinnati is coming off a road loss to Kansas State, 70-67, which snapped the Bearcats’ four-game winning streak.
Here is a preview of Saturday’s game.
How to Watch Arizona vs. Cincinnati
Date: Saturday, January 4, 2025
Time: 1:30 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN2
Site: Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio
Arizona vs. Cincinnati Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Cincinnati -2.5
Current Line: Cincinnati -3
Over/Under: 147
Arizona vs. Cincinnati Predictions
Arizona needed that victory over TCU. It was the Wildcats’ first win over a high-major team but they’re still lacking a Quad 1 win. Beating Cincinnati on Saturday would give Arizona its first one.
The Wildcats played a murderous schedule, and they may pay for it in March when it comes to tournament seeding. Every Big 12 game brings Arizona a chance to claim a Quad 1 or Quad 2 win, but it will have to do it without center Motiejus Krivas (7.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg), who is out for the season with an injury.
Forward Tobe Awaka (8.3 ppg, 7.6 pg) was already the team’s leading rebounder, but now the Wildcats need more from forward Henri Veesaar (6.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg).
The guards will drive the scoring for Arizona, along with forward Trey Townsend (10.3 ppg). Caleb Love (16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.3 spg) is as dynamic a guard as one will find in this conference. Guard Jalen Bradley (11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.3 spg) is a perfect complement.
Defense and 3-point shooting are real issues for this team. Arizona’s Ken Pom defensive ranking is No. 33, but the Wildcats have allowed 80 or more points in four games. All four were against high-major teams. Arizona only shoots 30% from the arc, with Love and Bradley right around 30%. If the Wildcats are looking for 3-pointers, they’ll turn to guard Anthony Dell’Orso (43.8%).
There’s no shame in losing a Big 12 road game in Manhattan. Since Jerome Tang took over the Wildcats, he and Kansas State have taken down 10 ranked team at the Octagon of Doom.
But, K-State was effective in slowing down the alley-oop game to Bearcats forward Aziz Bandaogo (9.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and dealt guard Simas Lukosius (14 ppg, 41.2% from 3) one of his worst games of the season.
The development of forward Dillon Mitchell’s game (11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) continues to impress. He can stretch defenses out of the mid-range jumper area effectively, something he couldn’t do at Texas. Guard Jizzle James (11.9 ppg, 5.1 apg) has taken complete control of this offense and is committing fewer than two turnovers per game.
One area Cincinnati excels at is possessing the ball. As a team the Bearcats commit 10 turnovers a game. They don’t give opponents many extra chances and given the Wildcats’ occasional defensive issues, that will be a plus for Cincinnati.
Ken Pom rates Cincinnati as the No. 5 team in defensive efficiency. Arizona is No. 17 in offensive efficiency. The game probably comes down to which of those units wins.
Cincinnati 77, Arizona 76
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Cincinnati (53.2% Chance of Winning)
Odds Shark: Arizona 76, Cincinnati 74
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
