UCONN Huskies vs Seton Hall Pirates Prediction, Spread and Trends to Watch - 01/08/2022

by James Q

Friday, Jan 07, 2022

UCONN Huskies vs Seton Hall Pirates Prediction, Spread and Trends to Watch - 01/08/2022

 
Game Time: Noon ET, Saturday, January 8th, 2022
Venue: Prudential Center, South Orange, New Jersey
Where to Watch:  FOX
 

Opening NCAAB Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings Sportsbook:  Seton Hall -3; O/U 138
Caesars:  Spread: Seton Hall -3; O/U 138
VegasInsider:  Spread: Seton Hall -3; O/U 138

Season Record

Connecticut: 1-1 conf, 10-3 overall (Big East)
Seton Hall: 1-2 conf, 10-3 overall (Big East)

A Big East matchup of opponents with near identical records. Are they similar teams or is one a cut above the other.  Let’s break down the numbers and see who will win Against The Spread. College basketball is in conference play and the games and the betting opportunities are as hot as they are going to be.  

The Uconn Huskies have lost 3 games this season to the Providence Friars 57-53, the West Virginia Mountaineers 56-53, and the Michigan State Spartans 64-60.  All three losses were seriously close games and all three losses were losses ATS and all three losses hit the Under. Uconn defeated Marquette in their last battle on the hardwood… but that was back on December 21st.  The Huskies have not played since as they have seen two games postponed due to Covid-19 precautions.  In the Marquette game G Tyrese Martin led the way with 25 points, a nice explosion from a guy that averages 14.4 ppg. Normally G R.J. Cole is the team leader in scoring as he averages 16.3 ppg and 4.7 asp… and therein is the reason for the three close losses.  In college basketball being guard dominant, in a close game, nearing the final buzzer… leads to too many low average jump shots in key moments.  In Connecticuts’ case they play three guards and two forwards in the starting unit with the third guard Andre Jackson responsible for crashing the glass in what seems to be the small forward role. The result is a team that comes up just a few points short against the quality opponents.  A strong presence in the paint and this Huskies team would be undefeated.

Seton Hall has also lost 3 games this season, but are ranked 24th in the nation.  Those three games have been to the Villanova Wildcats, the Providence Friars, and the Ohio State Buckeyes… all three were also losses ATS. Particularly devastating to Seton Hall is that before going on a two-game losing streak to Providence and Villanova they had three games postponed due to Covid-19 precautions.  Until they beat the Butler Bulldogs on January 4th (the last game) the pirates hadn’t won a basketball game since December 18th… Three weeks of not winning can have a head rattling effect on a team.  That gives UCONN a nice mental edge right from the tip.  The Pirates will need to focus and stay locked to the game plan as UCONN also has slightly better numbers on both offense and defense.  

The easy way to compare these teams is to look at the similar opponent.  Both teams have lost to the Providence Friars… Seton Hall lost by 5 points in a high scoring affair while  Connecticut lost by 4 points in a low scoring affair.  All signs point to a close game. Seton Hall has home court advantage.  
 

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UCONN Huskies vs Seton Hall Pirates Preview and Analysis

RECENT FORM

UCONN is 10-3 on the season, but 6-7 ATS.  They have logged 8 Overs and 5 Unders.  The Huskies are 1-1 in road games.

Seton Hall is 10-3 on the season, but 7-5 ATS.  They have notched 5 Overs and 7 Unders.  They are 7-1 in home games.

OFFENSIVE ANALYSIS

UCONN is 37th in the nation in scoring with 79.3 points per game, 12th in rebounds with 38.8 per, and 72nd in AST/TO ratio with 1.2.  They are shooting 199th in FG% with 43.9% and 172nd in 3PT% with 33.9%... that alone explains the high marks in rebounding, there are simply a lot of available rebounds (remember about low percentage jumpers from a guard reliant line-up?).

Seton Hall is 70th in the nation in scoring with 77.2 ppg, 47th in rebounds with 36.5 per, and 168th in AST/TO ratio with 1.0. They are shooting 44.3% FG and 31.6% 3PT
 

DEFENSIVE ANALYSIS

UCONN is ranked 50th in the nation on defense and reliably holds opponents to 62.3 ppg.  

Seton hall is ranked 60th in the nation on defense while holding opponents to 62.9 ppg.

UCONN Huskies vs Seton Hall Pirates Prediction

Our prediction for Saturday, January 8th is…  Seton Hall 70 - Uconn 64

Seton Hall will take advantage of their home court advantage and the scouting report which clearly states to dare UCONN to shoot while grinding them down in the paint.


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NCAAF Betting Trends

UCONN is 3-3 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
UCONN is 0-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Seton Hall is 6-3 ATS as a favorite this season.
Seton hall is 5-2 ATS in all home games this season.

Injury Report

UCONN: F Adama Sanogo (hamstring) Questionable
Seton Hall: F Tyrese Samuel (undisclosed) Questionable

Starting Lineups

UCONN: G R.J. Cole, G Tyrese Martin, G Andre Jackson, F Akok Akok, F Isaiah Whaley

Seton Hall: G Bryce Aiken, F Tray Jackson, F Alexis Yenta, G Jared Rhoden, G Myles Cale

Statistical Leaders

UCONN
Points: R.J. Cole 16.3
Assists: R.J. Cole 4.7
Rebounds: Andre Jackson 8.0
Steals: R.J. Cole 1.6
Blocks Isaiah Whaley 2.2

Seton Hall
Points: Jared Rhoden 16.4
Assists: Kadary Richmond 3.4
Rebounds: Jared Rhoden 7.2
Steals: Myles Cale 1.6
Blocks: Ike Obiagu 2.6

Coaches

USC: Andy Enfield
Stanford: Jerod Haase



James Q

About the Author:

James Q. has been involved with sports and gambling his entire life. A former division 1 scholarship basketball player, James understands sports (and especially basketball) inside-and-out. Following his basketball playing days, James parlayed his gambling skills into a semi-pro poker career. James resides in Los Angeles, and especially loves the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Dodgers. And when he isn't betting on sports (and writing about it), James can be found performing stand-up comedy on the Sunset Strip.

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