Halftime Report
Cincinnati is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 32-28 lead against N. Kentucky.
Cincinnati entered the matchup having won three straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it four, or will N. Kentucky step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.
Who's Playing
Cincinnati Bearcats @ N. Kentucky Norse
Current Records: Cincinnati 3-0, N. Kentucky 0-3
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Truist Arena -- Highland Heights, Kentucky
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $35.00
What to Know
N. Kentucky will be in front of their home fans on Tuesday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will host the Cincinnati Bearcats at 7:00 p.m. ET at Truist Arena. The Norse have a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with four straight losses, while the Bearcats will come in with three straight victories.
N. Kentucky is headed into this one after the oddsmakers set last week's over/under low at 142.5, but even that wound up being too high. They fell just short of Nicholls by a score of 61-59 on Thursday. The Norse didn't live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
N. Kentucky struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only five offensive rebounds. They were dismantled by their opponents in that department as Nicholls pulled down 23.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati humbled Nicholls with an 86-49 smackdown. Fans of the Bearcats have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 19+ points.
Cincinnati relied on the efforts of Simas Lukosius, who went 7 for 11 en route to 19 points plus six assists and six rebounds, and Jizzle James, who went 8 for 11 en route to 19 points plus six rebounds. The dominant performance also gave Lukosius a new career-high in offensive rebounds (three). Another player making a difference was Dillon Mitchell, who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine rebounds.
N. Kentucky's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 0-3. As for Cincinnati, their win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-0.
While only N. Kentucky took care of their fans the last time they played, neither team managed to cover. Looking ahead, Cincinnati shouldn't be too worried about this matchup, as the experts have them favored by 14 points. This will be their first time playing on the road this season.
N. Kentucky suffered a grim 90-66 defeat to Cincinnati when the teams last played back in November of 2023. Will N. Kentucky have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
Cincinnati is a big 14-point favorite against N. Kentucky, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bearcats as a 13.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 137 points.
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Series History
Cincinnati has won 2 out of their last 3 games against N. Kentucky.
- Nov 19, 2023 - Cincinnati 90 vs. N. Kentucky 66
- Nov 16, 2022 - N. Kentucky 64 vs. Cincinnati 51
- Dec 04, 2018 - Cincinnati 78 vs. N. Kentucky 65