Dan Hurley’s No. 3 UConn Huskies host No. 5 Arizona on Wednesday in a massive top-five contest early in the college basketball season.
Both teams enter this game with 4-0 records and exude talent in the frontcourt.
The Huskies are fresh off outpacing A.J. Dybantsa Jr. and No. 9 BYU, while the Wildcats already have wins over the defending national champion No. 10 Florida and No. 15 UCLA.
UConn is a sizeable 6.5-point favorite on most books, with the Over/Under set at 154.5 total points.
UConn vs. Arizona best bet, prediction
Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats team has NBA-caliber height and skills within the frontcourt. Their guards can fill it up, too.
Senior Jaden Bradley has come into his own, and Anthony Dell’orso can provide much-needed scoring.
One key matchup will be sensational Wildcats freshman big man Koa Peat and Huskies starting center Tarris Reed Jr.
Peat had an impressive 30-point collegiate debut against the Gators and is expected to see his stock rise for June’s NBA Draft as the year progresses.
At 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, he is stronger than your average first-year player, complementing Motiejus Krivas and leading rebounder Tobe Awaka very well in the paint.
UConn is no stranger to dominant bigs, with the Portland Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan being the latest Huskies center to make the leap to the pros.
Reed Jr. transferred in from Michigan and seemingly picked up where Clingan left off, winning Big East Sixth Man honors last season.
He stands at 6-foot-11, and the senior leads UConn in scoring, pouring in 20 points a night in addition to 9.3 rebounds.
He fits perfectly alongside fellow senior, Alex Karaban, who is shooting a blistering 63.9 percent from beyond the arc to start the season.
This one has all the makings of a heavyweight fight, as Gampel Pavilion in Storrs is undoubtedly one of the toughest venues in all of college basketball.
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Very rarely do we see a game in November that could be played in March.
With a confirmed sellout on deck, I’m eyeing the first half-spread of 3.5 total points in UConn’s favor.
The Wildcats are ultra-talented, but a mid-week trip across the country is never easy for any program, even if that squad is riding the highs of two top-15 wins.
UConn has experienced backcourt players in Solo Ball, Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith. Look for them to push the pace early and test the Wildcats’ defensive instincts.
It’s also hard to bet against Dan Hurley at home.
The Play: Take UConn 1H -3.5 (-115, DraftKings)
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