Cincinnati Basketball: Preview, odds for Bearcats conference opener against Tulane

With less than an hour until conference play tips off, the Cincinnati Bearcats are 5-point favorites over the Tulane Green Wave with the over/under set at 151 total points according to WynnBET.

It’s important for the Bearcats to take down Tulane tonight at home because the next three games will be difficult to win at Temple and Wichita State, plus against 3rd ranked Houston next week.

Since a last-second loss to Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout, Cincinnati won three straight against Miami, La Salle and Detroit to wrap up the non-conference slate with a 9-4 record.

After extending the 3-game win streak just over a week ago, the Bearcats are scheduled to tip off AAC play against the Green Wave tonight at Fifth Third Arena in the final game of 2022.

Cincinnati Basketball: Preview, odds for Bearcats conference opener against Tulane

Wes Miller’s team will continue to lean on leading scorer David DeJulius, senior forward Landers Nolley II and sophomore center Viktor Lakhin against a relatively undersized Tulane lineup.

Lakhin scored a game-high 18 points and 15 rebounds on 8/10 shooting from the field in a 72-54 win over Detroit last week and will look to recreate that performance as AAC play gets started.

Players to watch in the upcoming matchup include Tulane guards Jalen Cook and Jaylen Forbes, forward Kevin Cross and wing Sion James. Forbes averages a team-high 16.8 points per game.

Cincinnati is tied for fourth place in the conference standings as each team prepares to start AAC play this week. Tulane sits in sixth place with a 7-4 record including 5-1 record at home.

Cincinnati Basketball: TV coverage, where to watch AAC opener against Tulane

Check out where to watch the upcoming conference opener as the Bearcats take on the Tulane Green Wave at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday, which will be broadcasted on ESPN2 and fuboTV.

Despite being inconsistent at times, Cincinnati comes into the game with a 9-4 record including wins against Cleveland State and Detroit, plus a blowout over Louisville in the Maui Invitational.

Tulane took down Mississippi Valley State last week to improve to 7-4 with victories over Buffalo, Rhode Island and others, alongside low-scoring losses to Fordham, George Mason and Nevada.

Both teams are hoping to start conference play on a positive note and it should be a competitive matchup as Cincinnati hosts Tulane with a chance to secure a fourth consecutive win at home.