The Connecticut Huskies take on the DePaul Blue Demons in Chicago, IL. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
UConn is favored by 12.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -800. The total is set at 146.5 points.
Here are my UConn vs. DePaul predictions and college basketball picks for January 1, 2025.
UConn vs DePaul Prediction
My Pick: UConn -11.5 (Play to -12)
My UConn vs DePaul best bet is on the Huskies spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
UConn vs DePaul Odds, Spread
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 146.5 -110 / -110 | -800 |
| DePaul Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 146.5 -110 / -110 | +550 |
- UConn vs DePaul spread: UConn -12.5
- UConn vs DePaul over/under: 146.5 points
- UConn vs DePaul moneyline: UConn -800, DePaul +550
- UConn vs DePaul best bet: UConn -11.5 (Play to -12)
My UConn vs DePaul College Basketball Betting Preview
Chris Holtmann has been a savior for DePaul so far, as the Blue Demons have almost matched their win total over the last two seasons (10) before conference play has gotten into full swing.
Most importantly, the Blue Demons didn't lose any buy games, dropping matchups to Texas Tech, Providence, St. John's, and Northwestern.
But now DePaul has the back-to-back defending national champs coming to town.
And while the Blue Demons have made progress, I'm not sure they're ready to compete with the big boys. Remember, in their four combined losses, DePaul has lost by an average of 17.3 points.
Plus, DePaul may be without leading rebounder David Skogman, who's been dealing with a leg injury; even if he plays, he may not be 100%.
That's bad news against Tarris Reed Jr., who is a monster off the bench and has been a key X-Factor for this Huskies team, especially when Samson Johnson gets into foul trouble.
The Huskies also have hit their stride of late, winning six straight games after finishing last in the Maui Invitational. And it's not as if Dan Hurley's team has played a weak string of opponents — six of the seven squads were in KenPom's top 75.
A lot of that has to do with the Huskies finding role allocation. Alex Karaban never was option 1A. Liam McNeeley is just a freshman. And Hassan Diarra and Solo Ball played less than 20 minutes per game last season.
I'll keep rolling with Hurley, even on the road.
