#15 Georgetown Hoyas at Cincinnati Bearcats
Friday, February 15, 2013, 9:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Fifth Third Arena – Cincinnati, Ohio
Opening Line: Cincinnati -4 1/2
Current Line: Cincinnati -4
Opening Total: 117
Current Total: 120
Opening Money Line: Cincinnati -150 / Georgetown +130
Current Money Line: Cincinnati -190 / Georgetown +160
The 18-4 Georgetown Hoyas have won 6 straight games to move to 8-3 in the Big East. The Hoyas are tied for first in the Conference with Marquette and Syracuse. Georgetown travels to 19-6 Cincinnati Friday night. The Bearcats are 7-5 in conference and are a game and a half behind the Big East leaders.
Cincinnati leads the series 6-5 against Georgetown including 2-1 in Cincinnati. The Bearcats have won 4 straight in the series. Cincinnati won both meetings last year including 72-70 in double overtime in the Big East quarterfinals last year in New York City. This is the only scheduled meeting between the schools unless they meet in the Big East or NCAA tournaments.
Georgetown started off the season 10-1 in non-conference play under coach John Thompson III. The only came to Indiana in overtime in a tournament in Brooklyn. The Hoyas struggled early in Big East play with losses at Marquette, and South Florida, and at home against Pittsburgh. Georgetown has wins at St. Johns, Notre Dame and Rutgers, and at home against Providence, Louisville, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Marquette Monday 63-55. The Hoyas also have wins over Duquesne, UCLA, Tennessee, and Texas. Georgetown had a game against Florida canceled because of bad weather that was supposed to be on an aircraft carrier. Georgetown is 11-7 ATS and the total is 7-8 this season.
Georgetown is outscoring teams 64-56 this season. The Hoyas are #10 in points allowed. The Hoyas are shooting 46% from the field including 34.5% from 3 point range. Georgetown makes 66.5% of their free throws. The Hoyas are averaging 33. rebounds per game and give up 28 per game. Georgetown opponents are shooting 37.8% from the field and 31.1% from 3 point range. The Hoyas are #12 in opponents’ field goal percentage. Georgetown averages 15 assists, 8 steals, 4 blocks, and 13 turnovers per game.
Forward Otto Porter, Jr. averages 15.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 1 block per game. Guard Markel Starks averages 12.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Forward Greg Whittington averages 12.1 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Whittington has missed the last 9 games due to being academically ineligible. He is out indefinitely. Forward Nate Lubick averages 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists a game. Forward Mikael Hopkins averages 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1 steal and 1.3 blocks per game. Jabril Trawick and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera will also get significant minutes in the rotation. Center Tyler Adams is ineligible for the season.
Cincinnati is led by coach Mick Cronin. After a 12-0 start, the Bearcats have gone 7-6 since then. Cincinanti has losses at home to New Mexico, St. John’s, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh, along with road losses at Syracuse and Providence. All losses are by 10 points or less. and 4 of them were by 4 points or less. Cincinnati has key wins over Iowa St and Oregon in a tournament in Las Vegas, Alabama, Marshall, Xavier, at Pitt, at Rutgers, at Depaul, Marquette, Rutgers, at Seton Hall, and Villanova Tuesday 68-50. The Bearcats are 10-11 ATS and the total is 3-15 this season.
Cincinnati is outscoring teams 70-58. The Bearcats are #21 in points allowed. Cincinnati is shooting 41.5% from the field and 33% from 3 point range. The Bearcats make 65.2% of their free throws. They are #286 in the country out of 347 teams in free throw shooting. Cincinnati is seventh in rebounding nationally with 41.1 per game, and the Bearcats give up 29.7 per game to opponents. Cincinnati opponents are shooting 38% from the field and 30.1% from 3 point range. The Bearcats are #14 in the former and #34 in the latter. Cincinnati averages 13 assists, 7 steals, 6 blocks, and 13 turnovers.
Bearcats’ guard Sean Kilpatrick averages 18.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Guard Cashmere Wright averages 13.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Guard JaQuon Parker averages 10.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Forward Titus Rubles averages 6.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Jeremiah Davis III, Cheikh Mbodj, Justin Jackson, David Nyarsuk, Shaquille Thomas, Jermaine Sanders, and Ge’Lawn Guyn make up the rest of the rotation. Jackson is questionable with a leg injury, and Davis is out indefinitely with a broken wrist.
Georgetown is 6-0 ATS against teams with winning records, overall, and against Big East teams, 5-0 after a straight up win, and a cover, 4-1 in road games, and against teams with winning home records, and 5-2 in Friday games. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in this series recently, and the under is also 5-2.
Cincinnati is 4-0 ATS in Friday games, 2-5 against teams with winning road records, 2-6 after a straight up win, 1-7 at home, and 0-5 after a cover. The Bearcats have covered the last 4 in the series overall, and are 2-0-1 in Cincinnati against the Hoyas.
Georgetown has been red hot recently, while Cincinnati has struggled. However, Cincinnati has won 4 straight in this series. Both players have some key injuries and or suspensions. I like Georgetown to pull off the upset on the road, in a low scoring defensive affair.
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