East Carolina vs. Cincinnati Prediction, Odds, Line, Spread, and Picks - January 11 | 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Season

The East Carolina Pirates (10-7) will visit the Cincinnati Bearcats (11-6) on Wednesday night. ECU are 1-3 in conference play, most recently losing close battles to UCF and Memphis.

Sophomore sensations Brandon Johnson, RJ Felton, and Javon Small combined for 35 points on a 13-of-36 shooting performance against Memphis. The Pirates led by eight in the first half, but Memphis exploded to garner 44 points in the second half, overwhelming ECU.

---

East Carolina vs. Cincinnati

Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Total	Money Line
East Carolina Pirates	+9.5	o141	+370
Cincinnati Bearcats	-9.5	u141	-500

Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Bet $5, Get $200 in Free Bets Instantly at DraftKings

---

Cincinnati have had a rough start to the new year, going 1-2 since the beginning of 2023. They most recently trailed by as much as 20 in a home loss to powerhouse Houston last Saturday. Leading scorer David DeJulius had four rebounds and five assists but finished 2-of-10 shooting.

Memphis transfer and 2020-21 All-AAC Landers Nolley II had 12 points, while senior Mika Adams-Woods and big man Viktor Lakhin combined for 35 points on 12-of-18 from the field. Cincy turned it over 16 times, compared to five by their opponents.

---

ShotQuality Tale of the Tape

Below, we will highlight essential ShotQuality data for this matchup, including Adjusted Offensive and Defensive SQ, strengths, weaknesses, and frequency. SQppp is a player's average ShotQuality points per possession.

Thus, SQppp = Total SQpoints/Total No. of Possessions.

The East Carolina Pirates own a 1.07 AdjOFF SQ this season, suitable for 68th in the nation. Cincinnati have the 76th-best AdjDEF SQ at 0.97. ECU do well in all key stats, but in shot-making, where they are in the 9th percentile. They are also 302nd in the open three rate metric.

Conversely, the Bearcats are in the 27th percentile in defensive shot-making (108th in the country) and 32nd in defensive open three rate.

The Pirates own high-frequency numbers in catch & shoot three-pointer, cut, finishing at the rim, off-screen, P&R ball screen, and transition shot types. They are in the top 70 in all those shot types except catch & shoot three-pointers, with a 0.97 SQ PPP (333rd in the country) and off-screen with a 0.97 SQ PPP (228th).

On the other hand, the Bearcats are in the top 120 in all those categories except in transition, with a 1.35 SQ PPP (195th in the country). The Cincinnati Bearcats have a 1.07 AdjOFF SQ, the 72nd-best mark in the country.

East Carolina have posted a 1.03 AdjDEF SQ this season, clocking in at 212th in the country. The Bearcats are in the top 70 in spacing, ranking in the 78th percentile. The Pirates are in the 52nd percentile in defensive spacing, ranking 208th in the country.

Cincinnati are in the country's top half in frequency regarding the following shot types: cut, isolation, off-the-dribble three-pointers, P&R ball-screen, post-up, and transition. Conversely, East Carolina are in the top 80 in defending all those shot types except midrange, where they own a 0.76 SQ PPP (179th in the country), and transition, where they own a 1.31 SQ PPP (186th).

---

East Carolina Pirates vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Prediction

Cincinnati have had great spacing this season but has yet to get some quality shots to drop. A date with ECU should help mend those issues, especially with all the talent on the offensive end for the Bearcats.

ECU are young but have a bright future, especially if their three sophomore starters stay through their senior seasons. However, the Bearcats are already there, with a mixture of veteran leadership and top recruits. Expect them to run the Pirates out of the gym in this contest.

Prediction: Cincinnati -9.5 (-110)

Bet $5, Get $200 in Free Bets Instantly at DraftKings