posted March 12, 2008 at 13:37 in NCAA B Free Picks

BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: PITTSBURGH -9, Total 128.5

The Cincinnati Bearcats (13-17 SU, 15-13 ATS), competing a rough season under coach Mick Cronin, are looking for a little redemption as the Big East tournament gets underway on Wednesday night, as they take on the Pittsburgh Panthers (22-9 SU, 14-12 ATS) in first-round action scheduled to begin at 7 PM ET at New York's Madison Square Garden.

In the BetUS NCAAB betting odds, Pittsburgh is listed as a nine-point favorite, with a total of 128.5 points.

Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* CIN has lost its last five games SU

* CIN has covered one of its last six games

* CIN has covered 15 of its last 23 games

* CIN has played four of its last five games OVER the total

* CIN has covered seven of its last 11 games as an underdog

* PITT has covered two of its last seven games

* PITT has played its last six games OVER the total

Pittsburgh was only a so-so proposition when playing away from its home floor at the Petersen Center, going 6-7 ATS in that role. But it appears kind of hard to recommend this Cincinnati side, especially the way it finished things up, with four sub-40% shooting efforts in its last five games and a 96-51 blowout loss to Connecticut in the season finale.

Pittsburgh has weapons. With early-season injuries taking out both Mike Cook and Levance Fields, Sam Young emerged as a true go-to guy at forward, leading the team in scoring on 51% shooting. And DaJuan Blair lived up to his billing as he came to the program as one of the most highly-touted freshman in Pittsburgh schoolboy history. Now Fields is back and he is finding his form, which gives the Panthers a dangerous player for the latter stages of games.

Before this five-game losing streak they are now in the midst of, however, the Bearcats had built an 8-5 record in one of the nation's best conferences. Say what you want about Cincinnati, but this team knows how to play defense (42% FG's allowed), isn't handicapped by its poor free throw shooting (since Pitt is just as bad) and wants badly to atone for the embarrassing showing at U-Conn.

Since we're not completely sold on these Panthers outside of their natural environment, we'll take the points with Cincinnati, the nine-point underdog in the BetUS NCAAB betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: CINCINNATI

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)