Halftime Report
UConn is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 42-33 lead against Butler.
UConn entered the matchup having won five straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it six, or will Butler step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
UConn Huskies @ Butler Bulldogs
Current Records: UConn 9-3, Butler 7-5
How To Watch
What to Know
UConn is 8-0 against Butler since January of 2021, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Both will face off in a Big East battle at 12:00 p.m. ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs are crawling into this match hobbled by four consecutive losses, while the Huskies will bounce in with five consecutive wins.
On Wednesday, UConn needed a bit of extra time to put away Xavier. They came out on top against the Musketeers by a score of 94-89. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
UConn’s win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Tarris Reed Jr., who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 13 rebounds. Solo Ball was another key player, earning 22 points plus four steals.
UConn was working as a unit and finished the game with 21 assists (they’re ranked fourth in assists per game overall). They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Xavier only racked up nine.
Meanwhile, Butler came up short against Marquette on Wednesday and fell 80-70.
The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Jahmyl Telfort, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds. He had some trouble finding his footing against Wisconsin on Saturday, so this was a step in the right direction. The team also got some help courtesy of Patrick McCaffery, who went 5 for 9 en route to 13 points.
UConn’s win was their 23rd straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-3. As for Butler, their loss dropped their record down to 7-5.
Keep an eye on the arc in Saturday’s matchup: UConn has made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 9.6 threes per game. However, it’s not like Butler struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 8.7. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Looking ahead, UConn shouldn’t be too worried about this matchup, as the experts have them favored by 9.5 points. This will be their first time playing as the favorites on the road this season.
Odds
UConn is a big 9.5-point favorite against Butler, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Huskies as a 6.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 144 points.
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Series History
UConn has won all of the games they’ve played against Butler in the last 3 years.
- Feb 06, 2024 – UConn 71 vs. Butler 62
- Jan 05, 2024 – UConn 88 vs. Butler 81
- Jan 22, 2023 – UConn 86 vs. Butler 56
- Dec 17, 2022 – UConn 68 vs. Butler 46
- Jan 20, 2022 – UConn 75 vs. Butler 56
- Jan 18, 2022 – UConn 76 vs. Butler 59
- Jan 26, 2021 – UConn 63 vs. Butler 51
- Jan 09, 2021 – UConn 72 vs. Butler 60
