Women’s College Basketball Odds & Picks: Holy Cross vs. UConn (Tuesday)
Today, the Holy Cross Crusaders face the Connecticut Huskies at Gampel Pavillion in Storrs, CT. Tip-off is 7 p.m. ET; fans can watch the game online via foxsports.com or the Fox Sports App. The betting odds list UConn as a heavy favorite.
It will be the Crusaders’ sixth road game and the Huskies’ fourth home game.
Holy Cross has played well and won against smaller schools but suffered its worst defeat against a team from one of the power conferences, Boston College. Fans will hope for a different outcome for this game, but they are taking on the No. 2 team in the country on its home court.
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Women's College Basketball Odds & Picks: Holy Cross vs. UConn
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Details
- Betting line: UConn -46.5 (-110), O/U 145.5 (-110)
- Location: Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT
- Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Coverage: Streaming at foxsports.com or via the FoxSports App.
- Last Meeting: November 13, 2011- UConn 77 Holy Cross 37
Overview
Of course, Holy Cross wants to defeat UConn. Defeating a blue blood program like the Huskies on their own court is a dream for every small school program like the Crusaders. However, it is something Holy Cross just hasn't come close to doing since the early days of this series.
The series’ first two games (1987 and 89) were competitive and relatively close ( 74-68; 73-71). But since then, the Huskies have dominated the Crusaders when they did play. Holy Cross failed to score 40 points in the last five meetings vs. UConn, while the Huskies didn't score less than 77.
While seeing this game be competitive would be a good story, fans and bettors may not want to bank on that happening. The Huskies have been beating opponents by an average of nearly 30 points per game. They are scoring 78+ and holding opponents to under 50 per game.
But watching another dominant win by UConn is not why fans and bettors will be interested in this game. They'll want to see Paige Bueckers in action. The Wooden Award favorite is coming off a 29-point game against No. 18 Ole Miss and is averaging 22 points per game this season.
Trends
- UConn is undefeated in its all-time series (dating back to 1987) vs. Holy Cross, 19-0.
- UConn is one of the 11 undefeated teams in the AP-Top 25 but has played fewer games than the others, 6-0.
- Holy Cross is 4-1 in road games this season.
- In the games dating back to the 2001-02 season, the point differential has been 42.8 points.
Bottom Line
The question is not whether UConn will win this game but whether they can cover this ridiculous spread of 46.5 points. If you could count on UConn playing its 'A' team for most of the game, then the answer would be an emphatic 'Yes!'
However, head coach Geno Auriemma gave his bench much playing time in these early games. Of the 11 players on the roster, nine average over ten minutes per game, and Paige Bueckers is the only one averaging over 30 minutes (30.2) per game.
Pick: Holy Cross +46.5 (-110)
This will be an easy win for UConn, but Auriemma will pull his starters relatively early, keeping the score from getting too out of hand.