No. 18 Cincinnati needs a win on Saturday against Tulsa to keep pace with SMU atop the American Athletic Conference. The Bearcats shouldn’t have much trouble as Tulsa is a middling program and UC has yet to lose at home this season. It will be a solid college basketball betting favorite.

Tulsa at Cincinnati Odds, Prediction & TV Info

Final Score: UCF 71, Tulsa 53 Martins Igbanu leads Tulsa with career-high 15 points, including 3-of-4 from 3 point range.

— Tulsa Basketball (@TUMBasketball) February 15, 2017

When: Saturday, Feb. 18, Noon ET Where: Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati TV: ESPNU Stream: WatchESPN Opening NCAAB Lines: Cincinnati favored by TBA

Why Bet On Tulsa?

The Golden Hurricane (12-13, 6-7 AAC) lost a fifth straight game Tuesday, 71-53 at Central Florida. Tulsa shot only 29-percent from the field, while UCF knocked down 52-percent of its field goals and 58-percent of its three-pointers, as the Knights avenged an 11-point Tulsa win earlier this season. On Tuesday, Tulsa cut it to a three-point margin, 43-40, when Jaleel Wheeler scored on a layup at the 11:36 mark, before UCF sored the next seven points for a 50-40 lead. From that point, UCF out-scored the Hurricane in the final 8:51 by a count of 21 to 13 for the victory. Tulsa freshman Martins Igbanu scored a career-high 15 points. Igbanu, who attempted just one three-pointer before Tuesday, connected on 3-of- 4 from behind the arc and was 4-of- 10 overall. In the preseason coaches poll, Tulsa was picked to finish 9th in the league … so far Tulsa has defeated teams picked above them –– UConn (2nd), Memphis (5th), Temple (6th) and UCF(8th). In its third year as a member of the American Athletic Conference, the Hurricane have posted a 13-10 record in league road games. Tulsa has a 2-3 road record this year, including wins at Temple (70-68) and USF (79-67), while losing its two road games by three points each, including at Houston (64-61) and at East Carolina (69-66) before the UCF loss. Ten players have made their Tulsa debuts this season. They have accounted for 65.5 percent of Tulsa’s total points. Tulsa has out-rebounded 12 of its 23 opponents this season, winning 8 of those games. After allowing its first two opponents this season to average 82.0 points, both losses, Tulsa has held its next 20 opponents to a 67.4 scoring average. Tulsa leads the American Athletic Conference in league games with a free throw percentage of .783, and also leads for all games at 72.7 percent.

Why Bet On Cincinnati?

The Bearcats own a 23-game home-court win streak that is tied for the third longest in the nation. It marks the longest home-court win streak of the Mick Cronin coaching era (since start of 2006-07) and the third-longest in Fifth Third Arena history (since the start of the 1989-90 season). The 23-game home-court win streak is tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation. The Bearcats were a perfect 16-0 at home during the 2016 calendar year. The previous longest home-court win streak under Cronin was 19 games from March 2, 2013 through Feb. 15, 2014. UC’s last loss at home came in a 77-70 decision to Temple in the league opener last season (12/29/15). Jacob Evans ranks among The American leaders in three-point field goal percentage (ninth at .383), steals (11th at 1.3), three-pointers made (12th at 1.8), scoring (13th at 13.4 points) and field goal percentage (14th at .468). Junior Gary Clark leads The American in offensive rebounds (3.6) and ranks fifth in overall rebounds (8.3) since the start of league play. On Feb. 1, Cincinnati edged Tulsa 57-55 – that started the Hurricanes’ five-game skid. UC’s Troy Caupain converted a tying three-point play with 39 seconds remaining and then made a 16-foot jumper with 4.4 left. The senior guard’s free throw tied the score at 55-all, completing the Bearcats’ comeback from an 11-point deficit with about 6 minutes to go in the second half. Tulsa's Pat Birt then had his entry pass stolen and Caupain pulled up for the game-winner. Caupain finished with 15 points for the Bearcats. Kyle Washington and Evans scored 10 each, and Clark added nine points and 11 rebounds. Wheeler scored 13 points to lead Tulsa. Junior Etou and Igbanu had 10 each and T.K. Edogi added eight points and 13 rebounds. The Golden Hurricane led the vast majority of the game before collapsing with uncertain offense, bad shots and several of its 16 turnovers in the final minutes.

Tulsa at Cincinnati Prediction:

This shouldn’t be close. Give the points in NCAA betting.