St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. UConn Huskies Picks, Predictions, Odds

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

Dec. 11, 2021

Dan Dobish
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies (8-1) and the Connecticut Huskies (8-2) square off in a neutral-floor game Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN2.

Score Prediction

St. Bonaventure 73, Connecticut 67

Best Bets

St. Bonaventure +4 (-110) at Stations

Over 137 (-110) at Westgate SuperBook

St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. UConn Huskies Predictions

The Bonnies of St. Bonaventure head to Newark looking for a little respect against the UConn Huskies, and they will be catching a huge break. The Huskies are without F Adama Sanogo due to an abdominal injury. The good news for fans and alumni of Sanogo, the team's second-leading scorer, is that he has a shot to play against Providence next week, but he just hasn't made enough progress to get into the mix Saturday.

The Bonnies do have an injury concern of their own, however, as leading scorer Kyle Lofton (ankle) is nursing an injury and is a question mark for Saturday's tip. He leads the team with 17.4 PPG, one of five St. Bonaventure players averaging double digits in points, and he is the quarterback out there, too. The latest from head coach Mark Schmidt is that Lofton is currently day-to-day, so that doesn't shed a lot of light on things. Apparently he is more of a game-time decision, and he will be re-evaluated shortly before the game. You know Lofton wants to play, as the game is his home state of New Jersey. And, unlike Sanogo for UConn, at least Lofton has a chance to suit up. That tips the scales in favor of the Bonnies.

St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. UConn Huskies Betting Odds

Odds Provided by Westgate SuperBook - Subject to Change

• St. Bonaventure +3.5 (-110)
• Connecticut -3.5 (-110)
• Over 137 (-110)
• Under 137 (-110)

More Odds | Futures Odds

St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. UConn Huskies Betting Resources

• Matchup: A-10 vs. Big East
• Date: Saturday, December 11, 2021
• Venue: Prudential Center
• Location: Newark, New Jersey
• TV-Time: ESPN2 - 3:30 p.m. ET

• Injury Report
• Wooden Award Odds
• Conference Futures Market
• Power Rankings

St. Bonaventure Bonnies Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 8-1
• ATS: 3-6
• O/U: 4-5

The Bonnies have rattled off three straight losses since a stunning loss to Northern Iowa on Nov. 27, but St. Bonaventure hasn't been terribly exciting in doing so. They were nearly clipped by Buffalo on Dec. 4, winning 68-65, and they had a 12.5 average differential in two wins over Loyola (Md.) and Coppin State, games which were expected to be much more lopsided.

St. Bonaventure enters on an 0-4 ATS skid, and it has covered just two times in the past eight outings overall. The good news is that they have a perfect 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS mark in three neutral-site battles, taking down the likes of Boise State, Clemson and Marquette. Even better news is that the Huskies will be missing one of their best interior players and point scorers, so advantage Bonnies.

UConn Huskies Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 8-2
• ATS: 4-6
• O/U: 6-4

The Huskies were without Sanogo against West Virginia, and the offense was in complete shambles. Sure, let's also give the Mountaineers defense credit, as that wouldn't be fair. But the Huskies did it to themselves, too, hitting just 39% (22-of-56) from the field, and 14% (3-of-21) from behind the arc. They turned it over too much, too, posting 14 turnovers while misfiring at the free-throw line, too.

Connecticut has lost two of the past five games, and they're 1-4 ATS during the span. The three wins are over Grambling, Maryland-Eastern Shore and VCU, not exactly a murderer's row. They lost to Michigan State when a little pressure was applied, and they fell to West Virginia with defensive pressure and a lack of cohesiveness on offense with no Sanogo. Look for more of the same here.

The trends all point to a bad place for UConn. They're 1-4 ATS in the past five games overall, 1-4 ATS in the past five neutral-site games and 1-4 ATS in the past five against winning teams, too.

Connecticut has managed to cover just once across the past five games overall. (AP)

Inside the Stats - St. Bonaventure Bonnies

• Record: 8-1
• VI Ranking: 52
• PS/G: 74.9 (120th)
• PA/G: 66.0 (130th)
• ORtg: 109.4 (75th)
• DRtg: 96.4 (170th)

Inside the Stats - UConn Huskies

• Record: 8-2
• VI Ranking: 19
• PS/G: 82.6 (25th)
• PA/G: 61.9 (60th)
• ORtg: 111.8 (46th)
• DRtg: 83.8 (14th)

Key Players to Watch

• STBO: Jaren Holmes - G (17.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.2 SPG)
• STBO: Kyle Lofton - G (17.4 PPG, 5.9 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.6 SPG)
• CONN: R.J. Cole - G (16.1 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG)
• CONN: Tyrese Martin - G (12.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 43.8 3P%)

St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. UConn Huskies Betting Conclusion

I don't like the way Connecticut has looked against the good teams. Yes, you can pad your record against the likes of Binghamton, CCSU, Grambling, UMES, etc., but when it comes to playing upper-echelon teams, they Huskies are just 2-2 SU, with both victories over Auburn and VCU by overtime on a neutral-site floor. They have yet to play a full 40 minutes looking like a team which is ranked, or deserving of a ranking.

The concern for Bonnies, and potential side bettors, is that Lofton is a question mark. We'll certainly have more clarity around 2-3 p.m. ET during pre-game warmups. My guess is that he is able to go. We know for certain Sanogo won't play for UConn, and they looked terrible against West Virginia without him. And St. Bonaventure is arguably better than West Virginia in many facets. It isn't quite that easy, but then again, sometimes it is.

St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. UConn Huskies Betting Trends

• St. Bonaventure is 0-4 ATS in the past four games overall.
• St. Bonaventure is 9-2 ATS in the past 11 neutral-site games.
• Connecticut is 1-4 ATS in the past five games overall.
• Connecticut is 1-4 ATS in the past five neutral-site games.
• The UNDER is 20-8 in the past 28 games for St. Bonaventure.
• The OVER is 5-2 in the past seven games for Connecticut.

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