Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Cincinnati and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 25-17 lead against Dayton.

Cincinnati came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Dayton Flyers @ Cincinnati Bearcats

Current Records: Dayton 10-2, Cincinnati 8-1

How To Watch

  • When: Friday, December 20, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Heritage Bank Center -- Cincinnati, Ohio
  • TV: ESPN University
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Ticket Cost: $53.85

What to Know

Dayton has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They and the Cincinnati Bearcats will compete for holiday cheer at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday at Heritage Bank Center. The Flyers are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 78.7 points per game this season.

Last Tuesday, Dayton escaped with a win against UNLV by the margin of a single free throw, 66-65. The 66-point effort marked the Flyers' lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Zed Key was the offensive standout of the match as he posted 13 points.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati hadn't done well against Xavier recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. Cincinnati came out on top in a nail-biter against Xavier , sneaking past 68-65. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bearcats have posted since March 2nd.

Cincinnati relied on the efforts of Dillon Mitchell, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds, and Aziz Bandaogo, who posted 12 points along with five rebounds.

Dayton pushed their record up to 10-2 with the victory, which was their 21st straight at home dating back to last season. As for Cincinnati, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-1.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Dayton hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 78.7 points per game. However, it's not like Cincinnati struggles in that department as they've been averaging 80.4. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Dayton is hoping to beat the odds on Friday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. They might be worth a quick bet since they're sitting on a three game streak of covering the spread when playing as the underdog.

Odds

Cincinnati is a 3.5-point favorite against Dayton, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 3.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is 139 points.

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Series History

Dayton won the only game these two teams have played in the last year.

  • Dec 16, 2023 - Dayton 82 vs. Cincinnati 68