UConn Huskies vs. DePaul Blue Demons Predictions, Picks, Odds

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The No. 20 Connecticut Huskies will look to stay on a roll this Saturday in a road game against the DePaul Blue Demons. Tip-off for this Big East clash from Wintrust Arena in Chicago is set for 6:30 p.m. (ET) with FS1 carrying the game nationally

SCORE PREDICTION

UConn 83, DePaul 65

BEST BETS

UConn -8 (-110) at DraftKings

UCONN HUSKIES VS. DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS PREDICTIONS

The Huskies are gaining some traction in the Big East standings at 5-2 straight-up on the strength of a four-game winning streak. They hammered Georgetown by 23 points in their last outing on Tuesday night. The two conference losses came against Providence at home back in December and to Seton Hall on the road earlier this month.

DePaul caught my eye with a nine SU wins in its first 10 games this season. That run included upsets over Rutgers and Louisville. Unfortunately, that was just a mirage with a SU 1-8 start in Big East play. More recently, the Blue Demons have struggled to be competitive in a 13-point loss to Creighton on Jan. 22 followed by Tuesday night’s 24-point loss to Villanova.

DePaul gets the benefit of playing this Saturday’s game on its home court, but I do not see that changing the outcome. The Huskies are finding their form as one of the better teams in the Big East this season. For the most part, they are beating the teams in the conference they are expected to by a solid margin. That opens the door to another SU win this Saturday that covers the closing spread.

UCONN HUSKIES VS. DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS BETTING ODDS

UConn -8 (-110)
DePaul +8 (-110)
Over 142.5 (-110)
Under 142.5 (-110)

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UCONN HUSKIES VS. DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS BETTING RESOURCES

Matchup: Big East
Date: Saturday, January 29, 2022
Venue: Wintrust Arena
Location: Chicago, Illinois
TV-Time: FS1 - 6:30 p.m. ET

UCONN HUSKIES BETTING ANALYSIS

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

SU: 14-4
ATS: 10-8
O/U: 13-5

Along with winning six of its last eight games SU, Connecticut has been able to cover against the spread in six of those games. The Huskies are 3-1 ATS in their last four games closing as double-digit favorites. They have also been a solid betting team on the total line with their last six games going OVER.

Forward Adama Sanogo and guard RJ Cole have garnered most of the headlines for Connecticut this season. Sanogo leads the way in points (15.9) and rebounds (8.4). Cole is a close second in scoring with 15.6 points while leading the team in assists with 4.8 a game.

Guard Tyrese Martin is another big part of the mix with 14.1 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 44.2% from three-point range. He is also one of the few players to take the court in all 18 games this season.

The Huskies, as a team, are averaging 80.6 PPG while shooting 44.6% from the field and 36.2% from outside the three-point line. They have converted on 74.7% of their free throw attempts. Connecticut is ranked 19th in the nation in scoring and it moves to 12th in rebounds with 42.1 a game. Its points-allowed average on defense stands at 64.8.

DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS BETTING ANALYSIS

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

SU: 10-9
ATS: 10-8-1
O/U: 11-8

DePaul has posted just one SU win against eight losses in Big East play and it is 3-6 ATS in those nine games. The lone stunner came against Seton Hall in a wild 96-92 victory on Jan. 13 as a 6.5-point home underdog. The total has stayed UNDER in the Blue Demons’ last three games while scoring an average of 52.3 PPG.

Guard Javon Freeman-Liberty has been hampered with a groin injury that has caused DePaul’s leading scorer (21.1 points) to miss his last three starts. His absence was painfully obvious in the Blue Demon’s lopsided 67-43 loss to Villanova their last time out. He is currently listed as questionable, but even if Javon can go, it is doubtful he would be 100%.

In his absence, forward Javan Johnson led the team in scoring on Tuesday night with 16 points. Forward David Jones is DePaul’s second-leading scorer with 14.9 PPG. He is shooting 44.8% from the field. Forward Brandon Johnson is the third Blue Demon scoring in double figures with 10.5 PPG.

DePaul has averaged 73.9 PPG on the season, but with Freeman-Liberty out of the lineup, that number is a bit deceiving. The team is shooting 43.6% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range. The Blue Demons are allowing an average of 71.1 PPG.

**UConn has gone OVER the point total in 13 of its last 18 games. (AP)**

INSIDE THE STATS - UCONN HUSKIES

Record: 14-4
VI Ranking: 26
PS/G: 80.6 (16th)
PA/G: 64.8 (69th)
ORtg: 111.6 (32nd)
DRtg: 89.7 (22nd)

INSIDE THE STATS - DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS

Record: 10-9
VI Ranking: 65
PS/G: 73.9 (127th)
PA/G: 71.1 (238th)
ORtg: 104 (154th)
DRtg: 99.9 (214th)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

CONN: R.J. Cole - G (15.6 ppg, 4.8 apg)
CONN: Adama Sanogo - F (15.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
DEP: Javon Freeman-Liberty - G (21.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
DEP: David Jones - F (14.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

UCONN HUSKIES VS. DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS BETTING CONCLUSION

These two teams have met 14 times going all the way back to 2004 and Connecticut has won 13 of those games SU. More recently, the Huskies are 3-0 SU and ATS against DePaul since rejoining the Big East.

With or without Freeman-Liberty in the lineup, I have the Huskies winning again on Saturday while covering the spread wherever it may settle-in at.

UCONN HUSKIES VS. DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS BETTING TRENDS

UConn has gone OVER the point total in 13 of its last 18 games.
UConn has covered the spread in three straight games.
UConn has covered the spread in three of its last four road games.
DePaul has covered the spread in nine of its last 12 home games.

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson