UConn vs DePaul Picks and Odds

• UConn (6-1) battles DePaul (1-3) on Monday, Jan. 11, at 6pm ET
• The Huskies have won five in a row against the spread, and six of seven overall
• The odds for the game, as well as matchup analysis and a pick, can be found in the article below

Despite a very late start to its season, DePaul will already have to face UConn for a second time on Monday, Jan. 11 at 6pm ET. UConn won comfortably in the first go-round, but now the Huskies have a very important player whose status for the game is questionable.

Can the Blue Demons learn from their previous matchup and secure their first quality win of the season? Check out the odds below, then we’ll break down this Big East battle.

DePaul vs UConn Odds

Odds as of Jan. 10th, 2020.

How They’ve Fared So Far

UConn’s only falter so far came at home in an overtime loss to No. 7 Creighton, 76-74. In that game, Creighton needed a last-second shot to tie that game, so it could’ve easily broken the Huskies’ way.

Other than that, UConn has piled up six wins, four of which have come against teams inside KenPom’s top 100 rankings. That includes USC (17th), who they beat 61-58 at a neutral site five weeks ago. On their current three-game win streak, the Huskies have beaten their opponents by a total of 44 points.

A big road trip coming up‼️⁣

Here’s a look back at a huge comeback win in Milwaukee 🛷⁣#ThisIsUConn | #PullTheSled pic.twitter.com/mcMadFWTh0

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) January 8, 2021

DePaul has one unimpressive win (91-72 over Western Illinois, 336th in KenPom) and three high quality losses: at Providence (57th), at UConn (22nd) and vs. Seton Hall (46th).

We’ll get into the UConn loss in a bit, but let’s zoom in on the Blue Demons’ eight-point loss to Seton Hall on Saturday. DePaul didn’t lead at any point in the final half of the game, and couldn’t scratch out a win despite forcing 20 turnovers.

1H | 7:40@bigdayday4 finishes tough inside before Freeman-Liberty goes HIGH off of the glass!

👿- 16
🏴‍☠️- 18@KobeElvis will head to the line after the media timeout.

🔵👿 | #PlayingPossessed pic.twitter.com/OmPBycz86r

— DePaul Basketball (@DePaulHoops) January 9, 2021

If DePaul can change its tune this season, it’ll need junior guard Javon Freeman-Liberty to keep rolling. He had 22 against Seton Hall and is averaging 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this year.

ATS Analysis

The Huskies are 6-1 against the spread this year, with five consecutive ATS victories. In their past three games, they’ve cleared the spread by over nine points each time.

The Blue Demons are 2-2 ATS, but they’ve lost their past two — by a combined ATS margin of 16.5 points.

🎥 The Highlights

DePaul battled to double OT before falling to Providence in the @BIGEASTMBB season-opener, 90-95.

🔵👿 | #PlayingPossessed pic.twitter.com/lzzkKkhv3b

— DePaul Basketball (@DePaulHoops) December 28, 2020

These teams have seen six of their 11 games hit the under, which is not nearly strong enough of a trend to do anything with.

Injury Updates

UConn might be without its best player, James Bouknight, who is questionable with an elbow injury. Bouknight has averaged 20.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and his status for Monday appears to be a true game-time decision. UConn coach Dan Hurley said as much on Sunday.

Hurley on Bouknight: "We'll see how he feels tomorrow and he'll just remain game-time until further notice."

— Mike Mavredakis (@MikeMavredakis) January 10, 2021

The bright side is that, in Bouknight’s absence against Butler on Saturday, UConn handled itself with a 72-60 win. Senior forward Tyler Polley stepped up off the bench, banging 5-of-8 shots from 3-point range.

DePaul has an injury concern of its own with guard Oscar Lopez, who is questionable with a knee injury. Lopez has missed the past two games and is averaging 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two starts this year. Not as significant of a potential loss as Bouknight, but still important.

Head-to-Head Matchup

UConn is back in the Big East for the first time since 2012-13, so their matchup with DePaul two weeks ago was their first in several years.

The Huskies cleared an 8.5-point spread with ease, winning 82-61 at home. Bouknight scored 20 in that game, but UConn’s leading scorer was actually Tyrese Martin (22 points).

The Huskies’ ability to win big without Bouknight last time out, combined with their ATS win streak, means they should have bettors’ confidence right now with or without Bouknight in there.

Pick: UConn -5.5 (-102)