UConn Huskies vs Butler Bulldogs Prediction, 12/21/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UConn Huskies vs Butler Bulldogs

Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024

Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

TV: ESPN+

The UConn Huskies (9-3) are en route to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday where they will take on the Butler Bulldogs (7-5).

The UConn Huskies faced off with Xavier and went home with a win by a final score of 94-89 in their last contest. UConn finished with a 47.8% FG percentage (33 of 69) and buried 8 out of their 24 3-pointers. When they shot from the free throw line, the Huskies made 20 of their 21 attempts for a percentage of 95.2%. With respect to hauling in rebounds, they earned a total of 32 with 12 of them being offensive. They also dished out 21 dimes in the matchup while forcing the opposition into 9 turnovers and having 7 steals. Pertaining to defense, UConn allowed their opponent to shoot 50.0% from the floor on 29 out of 58 shooting. Xavier dished out 9 dimes and had 3 steals in this contest. Additionally, Xavier totaled 21 rebounds (3 offensive, 18 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Xavier finished the game shooting 85.7% at the free throw line by knocking down 18 of 21 shots. They also converted 13 of their 24 attempts from long range. In relation to fouls, the Huskies finished with 16 while Xavier finished the game with 20 fouls.

Solomon Ball is a player who was important for the matchup. He finished 35.3% from the floor but finished the game without an assist. He was on the court for 34 mins and also totaled 3 boards. He ended up finishing with 22 points on 6 of 17 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

UConn comes into this game with a win-loss mark of 9-3 so far this season. They currently have an average of 84.4 pts per contest (35th in college) while connecting on 49.8% from the field. The Huskies are shooting 35.3% on 3-point shots (115 of 326) and 78.7% from the free throw line. As a team, UConn is grabbing 37.1 rebounds per contest and has earned 239 assists so far this year, which is 1st in D-1 in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession by turning the ball over 9.9 times per game and as a squad they are committing 19.3 personal fouls per contest.

When they are on defense, the Huskies are able to force 12.2 turnovers every game while drawing 18.1 personal fouls. They rank 31st in college in allowing assists with 110 conceded for the season. The Huskies defense is giving up a FG percentage of 41.6% (264 of 635) and they surrender 28.9 boards per contest as a unit. They are giving up 39.2% on shots from beyond the perimeter while they are 76th in the nation in PPG allowed (66.9).

For their last game, the Butler Bulldogs took a loss by a score of 80-70 against Marquette. The Bulldogs snagged 22 defensive rebounds and 3 offensive boards totaling 25 in the matchup. They gave up possession 14 times, while earning 1 steal for this contest. Marquette was called for 14 personal fouls for this game which took the Bulldogs to the charity stripe for a total of 15 tries. They were able to convert 13 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 86.7%. In reference to shooting from 3-point land, Butler made 9 out of their 22 attempts (40.9%). When this game wrapped up, the Bulldogs finished 24 out of 47 from the field which had them shooting 51.1%. The Bulldogs permitted Marquette to convert 32 of 75 tries from the field which gave them a rate of 42.7% for the matchup. They finished 20.0% from three-point range by going 6 out of 30 and finished the contest at 10 of 12 at the free throw line (83.3%). In regard to cleaning the glass, Butler allowed Marquette to get 36 in total (18 offensive).

Jahmyl Telfort was important for the Bulldogs for this contest. He racked up 16 points in his 38 minutes on the court and tallied 4 assists in the matchup. He buried 5 of 8 in this game for a field goal rate of 62.5%, and totaled 10 rebounds.

Butler has a record of 7-5 for the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Bulldogs are connecting on 45.1% from the field, which ranks them 187th in the nation. Butler has scored 876 pts on the year (73.0 per game) and they average 36.2 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 14.0 times per game (193rd in college) and they turn it over 12.5 times per contest. The Bulldogs commit 14.7 personal fouls every game and they go 76.2% from the charity stripe.

The Butler defense concedes 29.0% on shots from beyond the perimeter (78 of 269) and opponents are making 77.3% of their free throw attempts. They concede 10.8 dimes and 33.2 rebounds every game, which is ranked 50th and 121st in the country. The Bulldogs on the defensive side of the court are 117th in the nation in points per game surrendered with 68.7. They have forced 7.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 39.4% from the floor (47th in college).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take UConn

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here