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UConn’s Floundering Football Program Opens with a Win Total of Just 2.5

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in College Football

Updated Dec 19, 2022 · 10:17 AM PST

Rentschler Field at UConn.
The Connecticut Huskies are projected to finish with just 2.5 wins this season. Photo by Billcasey905 (Wikimedia Commons) [CC License].
  • The Connecticut Huskies have one of the lowest regular season win totals (2.5) of any team in the country
  • The Huskies won just one game last season
  • The Huskies set FBS records for most points (50.4) and yards allowed per game (617.4)

The 2019 college football regular season win totals have been expanded, and the Connecticut Huskies have one of the lowest numbers on the board. Oddsmakers have put the bar at a paltry 2.5 wins. That number is a full game lower than any of the nine other AAC teams currently on the board.

Are the Huskies good enough to get over that mark or should bettors go under?

2019 AAC Regular Season Win Totals

Team Over Odds Under Odds
Cincinnati Bearcats Over 6.5 -215 Under 6.5 +175
Connecticut Huskies Over 2.5 -115 Under 2.5 -115
East Carolina Pirates Over 3.5 -190 Under 3.5 +155
Houston Cougars TBD TBD
Memphis Tigers Over 9 -200 Under 9 +160
Navy Midshipmen Over 6 +130 Under 6 -160
SMU Mustangs Over 6 -115 Under 6 -115
South Florida Bulls TBD TBD
Temple Owls Over 6.5 -145 Under 6.5 +115
Tulane Green Wave Over 5.5 -170 Under 5.5 +140
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Over 4.5 +110 Under 4.5 -140
UCF Knights Over 10 -115 Under 10 -115

Connecticut Likely To Leave AAC

The University of Connecticut recently announced that it’s heading back to the Big East, and while that means good things for their basketball program, it leaves their football team in flux. It’s unlikely that the AAC takes back the Huskies, so they could become an independent. The move won’t take place until 2020 and UConn’s 2019 schedule is set, so the news doesn’t impact their regular-season win total, but it is a bit demoralizing.

Huskies Were Pathetic Last Season

The first thing you’ll want to look at when betting this regular-season total is how they played last year. The Huskies were just 1-11 and there weren’t many positives. This wasn’t a bottoming-out situation in the midst of a rebuild; this is kind of who they are.

UConn won three games in 2017, and 2013, had two wins in 2014, and had one surprisingly good year in 2015 with six wins.

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Last year’s numbers were ugly as they weren’t close in most of the losses. They even lost at home to UMass. Their only win came against Rhode Island and their average margin of defeat was 31.8 points per game. This team was not close.

What’s In Store For 2019?

The Huskies haven’t looked good under Randy Edsall so far, winning just four of 24 games. This team gave up 50.4 points per game last year with 617.4 yards per game – both FBS records. Edsall is building this program from the ground up and there’s tons of youth, so we could see some progress by the end of the year.

A partial concern is that 20 players who were on the roster for the last game of the year and still had eligibility decided to leave. It would be nice that have that experience. They lost quarterback David Pindell (graduation) and backup Marvin Washington (transfer). There’s not a lot to be positive about.

What’s The Best Bet?

Taking a look at the Huskies schedule, you really have to look for the weak foes. We’re talking really, really weak. After all, this team couldn’t beat UMass at home last year; can you expect them to go on the road and win that game?

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They’ll open the season with Wagner and you’d have to think they win that game. However, I don’t see many wins beyond that. The AAC has a look of good-but-not-great teams but UConn is so far behind the curve that many of these teams can show up half asleep and still roll the Huskies.

If there were some positive reports about player development, talent that’s on the rise or any shreds of evidence that there’s a turnaround happening, I’d bet the over. As it is now, I would pass or bet the under.

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