Kansas State Wildcats vs Cincinnati Bearcats Prediction, 3/2/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas State Wildcats vs Cincinnati Bearcats

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024

Location: Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, OH

TV: BIG12|ESPN+

The Kansas State Wildcats (17-11) are headed to Fifth Third Arena on Saturday where they will compete against the Cincinnati Bearcats (16-12).

The Kansas State Wildcats faced West Virginia and walked away with a win by a score of 94-90 in their last contest. Kansas State walked away from the game having earned a 45.8% FG percentage (27 out of 59) and buried 15 of their 31 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Wildcats made 25 of 35 attempts for a rate of 71.4%. With respect to hauling in boards, they earned 44 with 13 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 18 assists for the contest in addition to forcing 6 turnovers and having 3 steals. When talking about the defense, Kansas State allowed their opponent to shoot 39.0% from the field on 30 out of 77 shooting. West Virginia dished out 17 assists and had 6 steals in the matchup. Additionally, West Virginia pulled down 36 rebounds (14 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't have a block. West Virginia finished shooting 65.4% from the free throw line by burying 17 of their 26 attempts. They buried 13 of their 33 shots from long range. In regard to personal fouls, the Wildcats walked away with 22 and West Virginia totaled 25 personal fouls.

Tylor Perry is one player who came through in the game. He was able to score 29 points on 7 out of 12 shooting. He saw the court for 41 mins and also pulled down 4 rebounds. He ended up going 58.3% from the floor and recorded 6 assists.

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Kansas State comes into this matchup with a mark of 17-11 for the year. They turn the ball over 14.8 times per game and as a unit are committing 17.5 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Kansas State is collecting 37.9 rebounds per game and has accumulated 399 assists on the year, which has them ranked 125th in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. The Wildcats are shooting 31.5% on shots from distance (208 of 660) and 73.2% from the free throw line. They have an average of 72.6 points per game (220th in Division 1) while shooting 43.6% from the field.

When they are on the defensive end, the Wildcats are forcing their opponents into 11.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.3 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 187th in D-1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 366 relinquished on the season. The Wildcats defense is allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 40.2% (689 of 1,716) and they concede 35.1 boards per contest as a team. They give up 30.9% on three-point shots and they rank 111th in college basketball in points per game allowed (69.8).

In their last game, the Cincinnati Bearcats walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 67-59 when they faced Houston. When discussing cleaning up the glass, Cincinnati permitted Houston to get 22 overall (8 on the offensive side). They wrapped up this game 35.0% from behind the 3-point line by shooting 7 of 20 and ended up shooting 18 out of 27 at the free throw line (66.7%). The Bearcats permitted Houston to bury 21 of their 54 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 38.9% in this matchup. When the final whistle blew, the Bearcats finished the game shooting 21 out of 53 from the field which gave them a percentage of 39.6%. With respect to shots from beyond the perimeter, Cincinnati converted 5 out of their 19 tries (26.3%). They were able to convert 12 of the free throws for a percentage of 80.0%. Houston earned 16 personal fouls in this game which took the Bearcats to the charity stripe for 15 shots. They gave up possession 18 times, while earning 4 steals for the contest. The Bearcats corralled 25 defensive boards and 14 offensive rebounds for a total of 39 for this game.

Viktor Lakhin ended up being important for the Bearcats for the game. He earned 11 points in his 21 mins of playing time, but went home with no dimes. He made 5 of 6 in this contest giving him a field goal percentage of 83.3%, and earned 9 rebounds.

Cincinnati has a mark of 16-12 so far this year. The Bearcats are committing 14.9 fouls per game and they go 68.5% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 14.7 times per game (85th in D-1) and they turn it over 12.5 times per contest. Cincinnati has scored 2,082 pts on the season (74.4 per contest) and they grab 40.5 boards per contest. When it comes to executing on offense, the Bearcats are shooting 44.1% from the field, which has them ranked 215th in the nation.

The Cincinnati defense concedes 32.9% on shots from beyond the arc (183 of 556) and their opponents are making 74.5% of their shots from the free throw line. They have given up 13.0 dimes and 31.6 boards every game, which has them ranked 185th and 26th in college hoops. The Bearcats on the defensive side of the court are 73rd in D-1 in PPG allowed with 67.9. They are forcing their opponents into 11.7 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 42.1% from the floor (87th in college basketball).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Kansas State

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