Stanford vs UConn CBB Picks
The Stanford Cardinal were expected to be a second tier team in the PAC 12 and so far they done nothing to change that perspective. [ad-4468020]
Stanford Cardinal (7-2) vs. Connecticut Huskies (9-0)
Wednesday December 18
Gampel Pavillion – Storrs, Connecticut
9:00PM
Moneyline: NO ML currently listed
Spread: Connecticut -7
O/U: No total currently listed.
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ATS Matchup Insight | CP Insider Gambling Preview
Stanford
They only have a couple of losses (to good teams Pitt and BYU) and have taken care of business otherwise, though none of their wins have been all that impressive.
Winning on the road at UConn will be a very tough task but this game and the next against Michigan are the last chances they have to make a statement in the nonconference.
Stanford has a very solid and experienced team. They have four scorers in double figures led by guard Chasson Randle, who has rebounded nicely after a shooting slump that lasted most of the season.
Though he leads the team in scoring the Cardinal would be wise to look inside against the Huskies because they have two experienced and productive post players, Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis, and UConn is uncharacteristically light inside this season.
Stanford is 1-0 SU and ATS in their lone true road game this season at Denver.
They have a lot of experienced players and shouldn’t be intimidated by the environment, especially if the crowd is light given the time of year. The spread seems kind of generous at first look but it might be just about right.
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Connecticut
The Huskies have had a few close calls but they are still undefeated on the season.
If winning close games early builds toughness then this team might be the toughest team in America with three one-point victories and one two-point victories among their nine wins, the most impressive of which was their win over Florida on a last second shot by Shabazz Napier.
Connecticut hasn’t played a game in nearly two weeks though so they might be a little rusty.
Due to his late game heroics and overall strong play Napier is getting early buzz as a player of the year candidate.
The Huskies are super strong on the perimeter and Napier leads the team in scoring, assists and rebounding, the latter the most amazing of all because he is only 6’1”.
Right now the Huskies are the top 3 point shooting team in the nation and as long as they can keep that up their inside deficiencies will be masked pretty well.
UConn is 3-1 against the spread at home this season but their lone cover was against a subpar Boston University team.
If they are playing well they could easily blow out the Cardinals but Stanford could certainly give them a game as well. I am not overly concerned about the rust because their guards control the action and have their hands on the ball a lot.
It won’t take long for them to be comfortable.
Spread Pick: Connecticut -7
O/U Pick: NA
Score Prediction: Connecticut 81 – Stanford 71
