Cincinnati Basketball: AAC Tournament semifinals preview, odds, players to watch against Houston

Check out our game preview including the latest odds, players to watch and more as the Bearcats prepare to face first place Houston in the AAC Tournament semifinals this afternoon!

Despite coming up short in a pair of regular season matchups with the Cougars, Cincinnati should feel confident after nearly pulling off an upset in a 75-69 loss at Houston in January.

Landers Nolley II scored 24 points on 6/10 shooting from 3-point range but the Bearcats couldn’t hold onto a 43-36 halftime lead as Jarace Walker led the Cougars with a team-high 25 points.

After losing eight straight games against Houston, Cincinnati opened as 10-point underdogs according to WynnBET with the over/under currently set at 135.5 total points prior to tip off.

Cincinnati Basketball: AAC Tournament semifinals preview, odds, players to watch against Houston

• Date: Saturday, March 11 at 3:00 PM
• Location: Dickies Arena in Fort Worth
• TV Broadcast: ESPN2 and fuboTV
• Series History: Bearcats lead 33-13

Wes Miller’s team is hoping to pull off a major upset over Houston and clinch a spot in the AAC Tournament championship game against either Memphis or Tulane on Sunday afternoon.

It will be important to limit easy shots against Houston as Viktor Lakhin and Ody Oguama look to protect the rim. Lakhin tied an AAC Tournament record with seven blocks in the quarterfinals.

Houston advanced to the semifinals following a 60-46 win over East Carolina yesterday as AAC Player of the Year Marcus Sasser racked up a game-high 30 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Players to watch in the upcoming matchup include Cougars junior guards Tramon Mark and Jamal Shead, plus Cincinnati senior guard David DeJulius and freshman forward Daniel Skillings Jr.