Houston vs. Cincinnati: 2018-19 CBB game preview, TV schedule

Houston travels to Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon, and if the Cougars can conquer the Bearcats, they’ll capture the outright American regular-season crown.

TV schedule: Sunday, March 10, 12:00 pm ET. CBS.
Arena: Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, OH.

It’s for all the marbles on Sunday afternoon when the top-two teams in the American Athletic Conference do battle in their final regular-season contest. No. 12 Houston (28-2, 15-2) will enter hostile territory as it invades No. 20 Cincinnati (25-5, 14-3) in a monumental league match-up.

Here’s the simple scenario: the Cougars have clinched at least a share of the American regular-season championship as well as the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tourney. Should Houston knock off the Bearcats on their turf, the Cougars will have their first outright league title since the 1983-84 stanza, dating back to that sensational Phi Slama Jama group. This certainly would prove a tremendous achievement for Houston. Yet, simultaneously, it’s a stiff challenge for the Cougars, who are 0-16 all-time at Cincinnati.

Aside from the situation within the American, Sunday’s affair has March Madness implications, too. At this juncture, Houston is deemed a No. 3 seed in the Big Dance by the bevy of bracketologists, while the Bearcats are hovering between a No. 6 seed and a No. 7 seed. If the Cougars win out prior to the NCAA Tournament commencing, they could make a decent argument for a No. 2 seed in the field of 68, although reaching the top line isn’t likely feasible.

Houston does have a solid resume, with an NCAA NET rating of No. 6 and a 9-1 road mark. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is No. 24 in the NCAA NET system and sports a spectacular 16-1 record at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats are definitely seeking revenge in this game, as they lost, 65-58, to the Cougars in Houston on Feb. 10, in a duel where Cincinnati failed to register a single point over the last six-plus minutes. Ouch.

Taking an examination into various statistical categories, these programs are pretty darn similar in a lot of departments, such as turnovers committed, shooting from the field, charity stripe and beyond the arc, points allowed, blocks and steals. The Cougars do hold an advantage in points scored, rebounding and assists.

ESPN’s Basketball Power Index says that the Bearcats are favored to prevail, at 56.5 percent. Generally speaking, I do believe that Houston is the more talented crew. However, Cincinnati is awfully tough to beat on its court, and I think that the Bearcats will claw and grit their way to a victory versus the Cougars.

Prediction: Cincinnati 68 – Houston 63