A pair of unbeaten will meet in the first round of the 2024 Maui Invitational when the Memphis Tigers battle the second-ranked and two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies on Monday. UConn is coming off an 81-46 win over East Texas A&M on Tuesday, while Memphis downed San Francisco 68-64 on Thursday. The Huskies (4-0), who won the Big East last season at 18-2 and were 37-3 overall a year ago, were 12-0 on neutral courts in 2023-24. The Tigers (4-0), who took fifth in the American Athletic Conference at 11-7 and were 22-10 overall last season, are 3-2 on neutral courts since the start of last year. The winner will take on the winner between Colorado and Michigan State on Tuesday.
Tip-off from Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii, is set for 2:30 p.m. ET. This will be the 17th meeting between the schools, with the series tied 8-8. The Huskies are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Memphis vs. UConn odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 150.5. Before making any UConn vs. Memphis picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2024-25 season on a 156-114 betting roll (+1762) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Memphis vs. UConn. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Connecticut vs. Memphis:
- UConn vs. Memphis spread: UConn -8.5
- UConn vs. Memphis over/under: 150.5 points
- UConn vs. Memphis money line: UConn -433, Memphis +332
- MEM: The Tigers have hit the game total over in 17 of their last 31 games (+2.80 units)
- UCONN: The Huskies have hit the money line in 29 of their last 31 games (+26.50 units)
- UConn vs. Memphis picks: See picks at SportsLine
- UConn vs. Memphis streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why you should back UConn
Junior forward Alex Karaban powers the Huskies’ attack. In four starts this season, he is averaging a team-best 16.3 points, while adding 4.3 rebounds, four assists and 3.3 blocks in 29.8 minutes. He has been red hot from the floor, connecting on 63.6% of his field goals, including 54.2% from 3-point range, and 83.3% of his free throws. In a 92-56 season-opening win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 6, he poured in 20 points, while adding six rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks. He has started 81 of 82 collegiate games for Connecticut.
Sophomore guard Solo Ball is also off to a blistering start to his season. In four starts, he is averaging 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 25 minutes. He is connecting on 57.6% of his shots from the floor, including 47.4% from 3-point range, and 70% from the foul line. He is coming off a 12-point and two-rebound effort in the win over East Texas A&M. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Memphis
Sophomore guard PJ Haggerty is one of four Tigers averaging double-digit scoring. In four starts, he is averaging 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 35.5 minutes. He has also been deadly from the floor, connecting on 49.1% of his field goals, including a scalding 50% from 3-point range, and has hit 86.1% of his free throws. In an 80-74 win at UNLV on Nov. 9, he poured in 29 points and added three rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes.
Senior guard Tyrese Hunter brings experience to the Tigers lineup after spending one year at Iowa State and the past two seasons at Texas. In four starts this season, he is averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals in 33 minutes. He is also a solid shooter, connecting on 41.9% of his field goals, including 44.4% from 3-point range, and 81.8% from the free throw line. In a 94-70 win over Ohio on Nov. 15, he scored 21 points, dished out six assists, grabbed five rebounds and added four steals in 34 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Memphis vs. UConn picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 153 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 70% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Memphis vs. UConn, and which side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks dating back to 2023, and find out.
Read the full article here