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Cincinnati Bearcats vs Villanova Wildcats: Both teams have a solid start to the season

The Villanova Wildcats will host the Cincinnati Bearcats at Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, PA on Tuesday.

Can the Bearcats stay undefeated?

The Cincinnati Bearcats are second in the Big 12 Conference with a 6-0 record including 2-0 on the road. They are coming off a 77-59 win over the Alabama State Hornets. The Bearcats are the best shooting team in the country with a 53.6% from the field and are ranked fourth shooting 41.5% from deep. Simas Lukosius leads the team with 16.5 points per game so far in the season.

How good are the Wildcats this season?

The Villanova Wildcats are at the bottom of the Big East Conference with a 4-4 record, including 4-1 at home. They have won two of the last three games and are coming off a 72-48 win over the Rider Broncs. The Wildcats are 42^nd in the nation shooting 38.6% from deep and are ranked 11th shooting 80.9% from the free throw line. Eric Dixon leads the team with 25.1 points per game.

Betting Trends

The Bearcats are 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Cincinnati has played under the total point line in 7 of their last 10 games overall. The Wildcats are 4-6 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Villanova has played over the total point line in 6 of their last 10 games overall. These two have split the last 8 games and the Bearcats won the last three. Cincinnati covered the spread in 5 of those 8 and 6 of them finished under the total point line.

Prediction and Conclusion

These two teams will face each other for the first time since 2013, when the Bearcats won their third consecutive game in the series, 68-50. Ever since, Villanova has been the better among the two teams, but things look way different this season. Cincinnati is still undefeated while Villanova has split their eight games in the schedule. Eric Dixon has an impressive individual season, being second in the nation in scoring, but the Wildcats do not have much use for that. The Bearcats are a much better team at the moment and will dominate the Wildcats defense, which is ranked 234th in the nation in allowed percentage from the field. Cincinnati will take advantage of that and take home the win.