The ninth-seeded Northwestern Wildcats will try to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time when they meet the defending national champion and overall No. 1 seed UConn Huskies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Wildcats (22-11), who are 3-2 so far in the NCAA Tournament, have won five of their last eight games. The Huskies (32-3), who are 66-32 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, are trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the 20th time. This will be the first meeting between the schools.
Tip-off from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY is scheduled for 7:45 pm ET. The Huskies are 13.5-point favorites in the latest Northwestern vs. UConn odds from SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 136. Before making any UConn vs. Northwestern picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The model simulates each Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament on a 148-106 roll over all of last season’s top-rated college basketball picks, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone who has followed has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UConn vs. Northwestern. You can visit SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Northwestern vs. UConn:
- Northwestern vs. UConn Spread: UConn -13.5
- Northwestern vs. UConn Over/Under: 136 points
- Northwestern vs. UConn Money Line: Northwestern +683, UConn -1083
- NW: The Wildcats are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games
- Con: The Huskies are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games.
- Northwestern vs. UConn picks: See the picks on SportsLine
Why might UConn cover?
Second-year forward Alex Karaban helped defeat Stetson in the first round on Friday with 12 points and four rebounds in just 26 minutes of action. He has reached double figures 25 times this year, including a season-high 26 points twice, the last time in an 80–67 win over Georgetown on Jan. 14. In 34 games, all starts, he averaged 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31.4 minutes. In 73 career games with UConn, he has made 72 starts.
Second-year center Donovan Clingan has been dominant recently. He scored 22 points while grabbing 16 rebounds in a 73–57 Big East Tournament title game win over Marquette on March 16. He followed that with a 19-point, eight-rebound and four-assist performance in just 20 minutes. Get a win over Stetson on Friday to open the 2024 NCAA Tournament. In 30 games, including 28 starts, Clingan averaged 12.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.6 assists. See which team to pick on SportsLine.
Why Northwestern may cover
Senior guard Ryan Langborg was stellar in Friday’s overtime win over FAU in the first round. He scored 27 points while adding four rebounds, three assists and two steals. He had 17 points, six assists and three rebounds in a 90–66 win over Minnesota in the regular season finale on March 9. In 31 games, all starts, he averaged 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals. 33.4 minutes.
Second-year forward Nick Martinelli is also a big part of the Wildcats’ success, mostly coming off the bench. He reached double figures 12 times, including a season-high 27 points in a 68–61 win at Maryland on February 28. He recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds in a 76–72 win at Indiana. On 18 February. In 33 games, including 10 starts, he averaged 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 25.8 minutes. See which team to pick on SportsLine.
How to make Northwestern vs. UConn picks
The model is projecting a combination of teams for a total of 148 points. It also states that one side of the spread is affected more than 50% of the time. You can watch the selection only on SportsLine.
So who wins in UConn vs. Northwestern, and which side of the spread wins more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you should jump on, all from a computer model that is 29-19 on the top-rated college basketball spread picks this season.
