The Arizona Wildcats take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in Cincinnati, OH. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Cincinnati is favored by 3 points on the spread with a moneyline of -155. The total is set at 147.5 points.
Here are my Arizona vs. Cincinnati predictions and college basketball picks for January 4, 2025.
Arizona vs Cincinnati Prediction
My Pick: Cincinnati -2.5 (Play to -3.5)
My Arizona vs Cincinnati best bet is on the Bearcats spread, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Arizona vs Cincinnati Odds
| Arizona Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -108 | 147.5 -108 / -112 | +130 |
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -112 | 147.5 -108 / -112 | -155 |
- Arizona vs Cincinnati spread: Cincinnati -3
- Arizona vs Cincinnati over/under: 147.5 points
- Arizona vs Cincinnati moneyline: Cincinnati -155, Arizona +130
- Arizona vs Cincinnati best bet: Cincinnati -2.5 (Play to -3.5)
Spread
I'm taking the Bearcats on the spread up to 3.5.
Moneyline
I'm avoiding the moneyline.
Over/Under
There's no value on the total.
My Pick: Cincinnati -2.5 (Play to -3.5)
Arizona vs Cincinnati College Basketball Betting Preview
You would've gotten quite the reaction if you told someone 10 years ago that Arizona and Cincinnati would be playing in a conference matchup in the Big 12 in college basketball.
That's the new reality of college hoops in 2025, and as much as it doesn't make any sense geographically, it should yield plenty of exciting games.
Arizona heads east for its first ever Big 12 road game after beating TCU at home 90-81.
It was a win that the Wildcats desperately needed after a brutal non-conference campaign that resulted in five losses and no real quality wins.
Tommy Lloyd's team needs to make a dent in Big 12 play as a result, and it certainly still has the talent to do so.
The Wildcats actually reside inside the top 20 in KenPom's offensive efficiency rankings, but turnovers have plagued them at key moments.
Caleb Love is somehow back for another year, and just as it's been the case throughout his career, the veteran can run hot and cold.
Lloyd also went to the transfer portal to bring in guys like Tobe Awaka and Trey Townsend, who can be difference makers on the interior.
Townsend was unbelievable for Oakland in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, but has struggled to carve out a consistent role in Tucson thus far.
The Wildcats also need to clean up their defense a little bit, which has been the backbone of this program for so long.
Wisconsin went for over 100 against the Cats to start the year, and teams like Oklahoma, West Virginia and TCU all scored 80+ in recent games.
To secure a road win in a hostile Fifth Third Arena, Zona must commit to guarding hard for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile for the Bearcats, it's been a solid start to the season in a critical year for Wes Miller.
Cincinnati didn't play the most challenging non-conference schedule, but did rack up home wins over in-state rivals Xavier and Dayton.
The Bearcats lost a tight one in Manhattan on Monday night to Kansas State in their first league game, which makes Saturday all the more important to avoid an 0-2 start in the Big 12.
Cincy's defense has been phenomenal all year, ranking fifth nationally in efficiency with no weaknesses.
Miller's team is incredibly long, and it gets up into passing lanes while making opponents work in the half-court.
There's plenty of returnees from last year's group (Simas Lukosius, Aziz Bandaogo, Jizzle James and Dan Skillings Jr.), which has led to continuity and a togetherness on the floor.
The Bearcats also brought in Texas transfer Dillon Mitchell, who's an athletic specimen who can impact the game in a variety of ways.
As strong as Cincy is on the defensive end, I believe this team still has plenty of room to grow on the offensive side.
There's upside there, and I think you could see that start to emerge Saturday afternoon in the Bearcats' own building.
When looking at this matchup, I think Cincinnati has the ability to really bother Arizona when it has the ball and force some turnovers.
On the other end, the Bearcats' shooters should get plenty of clean looks on the perimeter, and they've shot it better at home all year.
Give me Cincy to win this game and cover the number in the process, as Arizona continues to be one of the bigger disappointments of the season.
