Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats open as narrow favorites over bitter rival Xavier

According to the latest odds by FanDuel Sportsbook, the Cincinnati Bearcats are 1.5-point favorites prior to taking on the crosstown rival Xavier Musketeers!

Both programs are hoping to secure a memorable win in non-conference play as the long-time rivals prepare to meet this weekend at the Cintas Center.

It will be important for the Bearcats to get off to a quality start in the opening minutes and neutralize the crowd as Xavier tries to protect their building.

With a chance to keep the unbeaten record intact, Cincinnati must avoid costly turnovers and protect the paint against rival Xavier on Saturday evening.

Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats open as narrow favorites over bitter rival Xavier

• Date: Saturday, December 9 at 6:30 PM
• Location: Cintas Center in Cincinnati
• Series History: Bearcats lead 51-39
• TV Broadcast: FS1 and fuboTV

Make sure to preview the upcoming matchup with Xavier including the newest odds, players to watch, pregame quotes and more prior to tip off tonight!

Players to watch are Cincinnati veteran guards CJ Fredrick and DaVeon Thomas, and frontcourt mates Viktor Lakhin, Ody Oguama and Daniel Skillings Jr.

The Bearcats are coming off a blowout victory over Florida Gulf Coast, while Xavier has lost three games in a row including a recent loss against Houston.

Xavier is fueled by dynamic backcourt trio Desmond Claude, Dayvion McKnight and Quincy Olivari, along with forwards Gytis Nemeiksa and Abou Ousmane.

Cincinnati Basketball: Players to watch as the Bearcats strive to end skid at Xavier

Claude averages 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game, while Olivari posts 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds on 42.1 percent from 3-point range.

Fredrick should be able to make a critical impact from the perimeter following a 19-point showing during a win over Florida Gulf Coast last Sunday.

Lakhin leads the Bearcats with 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds on 61.8 percent shooting from the field with five consecutive double digit scoring outings.

Skillings brought a ton of energy off the bench and has been a significant part of Cincinnati blowing out several non-conference opponents in recent weeks.