Skip to main content

Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley Predictions, Odds & Picks: Pick’ em in NIT Quarterfinal

Philip Wood

Last Updated: March 22, 2023 10:50 AM EDT • 3 min 6 sec read.

Ody Oguama #33 of the Cincinnati Bearcats features in our Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley picks.
Ody Oguama #33 of the Cincinnati Bearcats attempts a layup past Samuell Williamson #11 of the SMU Mustangs on March 5. Dylan Buell/Getty Images/AFP

The Cincinnati Bearcats and Utah Valley Wolverines meet with a spot in the NIT semifinal in Las Vegas on the line. Here is our best Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley prediction based on the top NCAAB odds.

Neither the Wolverines nor Bearcats have had much trouble taking care of business to get to the NIT quarterfinals. The Bearcats came into the tournament as a four seed, and they took care of the Virginia Tech Hokies 81-72 in their first game. They then went on the road to take on the Hofstra Pride and defeated the underdogs 79-65.

Each of the Wolverines’ games has been played on the road. They took down the second-seeded New Mexico Lobos 83-69 in the first round, then won by an almost identical score against the Colorado Buffaloes in Round 2. The Wolverines are 11-2 in their last 13 games this season.

Here is our best Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley prediction (odds via BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley odds

Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley prediction

Over 147 (-105 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

Up To $1,500 Back In Bonus Bets

Terms and conditions apply. 

Claim $1,500
Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook betting site. 21+. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly

These two teams are very evenly matched on paper. They’re each averaging around 77 points per game, while they’re allowing around 69 points per contest. The Wolverines are 13-1 at home this season, with their only loss coming all the way back in November. The Bearcats are just 5-6 on the road this year.

There are few who would argue that the Bearcats play in the tougher league. After all, they were eliminated from their conference tournament by the Houston Cougars, one of the frontrunners for the NCAA title. But the Wolverines dominated the WAC this season, and they have taken care of business on the road against two solid teams in the NIT.

It can’t be understated how much a home game like this will mean to Utah Valley. The altitude could also be a huge disadvantage for the Bearcats, but we simply cannot pick a side. Instead, we're going with the total. This number feels low considering how these two teams have scored in their first two games. The Bearcats are averaging 80 points per contest, while the Wolverines are averaging 82. During the NIT, their opponents managed to get into at least the mid-60s in each game.

Perhaps oddsmakers are expecting the defenses to come to play in this one, but these are two solid offensive teams that have shown a lot of promise in this tournament so far. This should be a fun back-and-forth game that comes down to the last possession. The Wolverines should have an advantage from playing at home, which means this will be higher-scoring than if this game were being played in Cincinnati.

Check out our best March Madness odds and Wooden Award odds.

Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley best odds

Over 147 (-115)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
Over 147Over 146.5Over 147.5Over 146.5Over 147
-115-110-110-110-105

There is a bit of disagreement between the five major sportsbooks for this game. FanDuel and Caesars have this number as low as 146.5, while BetMGM has this number at 147.5. Meanwhile, PointsBet is offering 147 at a price of -105.

We are recommending that you forego the extra half-point FanDuel and Caesars are offering in order to get a better price at PointsBet. This game should be played in the 150s, as has been the case in each of the previous games these teams have played in the NIT. 

Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley odds analysis

The Wolverines opened as 1.5-point favorites, and unsurprisingly, this number has moved significantly in favor of the Bearcats. The Wolverines have no name-brand recognition, and when bettors see a matchup like this, they tend to go with the team they recognize. The Bearcats are receiving 67% of the wagers at the moment.

As for the total, this number opened at 147.5, and it has dropped at nearly every major sportsbook. Roughly 60% of wagers are backing the Under, even if the season-long statistics don’t support such a result. Perhaps bettors are a bit concerned with how many Unders there have been in the more popular and visible NCAA Tournament.

Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley game info

  • Date: Wednesday, March 22, 9 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Location: UCCU Center, Orem, UT

Cincinnati vs. Utah Valley pick made 3/22/2023 at 9:59 a.m. ET.

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

Written By:
Philip Wood
Phil is a Sports Betting Analyst for Sportsbook Review and BettingPros.com, specializing in NFL and college football. He previously covered college football and college basketball for CanesInsight.com, where he also hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast. Phil is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is if a line doesn't make sense, just assume that Vegas knows something you don't. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. Some would call him a frontrunner for his love of the Yankees and the Celtics, but he's also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and will never forgive the refs for the blown pass interference call against the Cowboys in 2015.