NCAAB Betting: LaSalle vs. UConn
NCAA Basketball Betting – No. 2 UConn Huskies Hosts LaSalle Explorers
The La Salle Explorers (1-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U) couldn’t hold off Florida State in the second half of their 65-61 loss at Tom Gola Arena Tuesday night. The Connecticut Huskies (2-0 SU, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U) pounded nearby Hartford 99-56 at home on Monday without floor leader A.J. Price.
Both teams will be gunning for a victory on Friday when they meet at Sports and Fitness Center.
La Salle got 13 points and 11 rebounds from Yves Mekongo Mbala as just two scorers reached double figures while failing to cover the spread as a 1.5-point home underdog. Jerrell Williams added 10 points, but La Salle struggled from the floor, shooting just 36.7 percent from the field (22-of-60) and making just 4 of 21 shots from beyond the arc.
The second-ranked Huskies will have Price back after he missed their last win with an ankle injury he suffered in UConn’s season opener.
The Huskies got 21 points apiece from senior Craig Austrie and highly touted freshman Kemba Walker, career highs for both players.
“They made their run, and we withstood that run and did our thing,” Austrie said. “We’re the No. 2 team in the country, and we have to expect things like that and we’re only going to grow from things like that.”
“I just wanted to have composure out there,” Austrie said. “We were down one man, A.J. who’s usually our general. I just wanted to take A.J.’s role, help the freshmen out, and do what I can to help this team.”
Preseason All-Big East selection Hasheem Thabeet struggled, finishing with just nine points in 22 foul-plagued minutes.
Here is a look at the key trends for each team followed by my in-depth analysis and NCAA college basketball Free Picks.
The Explorers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
The Explorers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.
The Huskies are 6-20-1 ATS in their last 27 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.
The Huskies are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 non-conference games.
The Over is 7-0-1 in Huskies last 8 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
The Over is 10-1 in Huskies last 11 neutral site games.
La Salle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Connecticut is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
NCAAB Odds
LaSalle +16 -110
UConn -16 -110
Analysis: As a former LaSalle student, I have to admit it’s sad to see how far their basketball program has fallen since the days of Michael Brook or even Doug Overton but hey, it is what it is. Having said that, I fully expect UConn to run the Explorers off the floor, even on their home court, in covering the spread with a huge win. Lest anyone forget, Huskies head coach Jim Calhoun has been known to run up the score occasionally.
NCAAB Free Picks: UConn -16 Points
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