Halftime Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, Kansas State looks much better today on their home court. A win is still up for grabs for either team after one quarter, but Kansas State is up 31-29 over Cincinnati. The finale is shaping up to be a lot like these teams’ last head-to-head, which was decided by just two points.
Kansas State entered the game with three straight defeats and they’re well on their way to making it four. Can they turn things around, or will Cincinnati hand them another loss? Only time will tell.
Who’s Playing
Cincinnati Bearcats @ Kansas State Wildcats
Current Records: Cincinnati 10-1, Kansas State 6-5
How To Watch
- When: Monday, December 30, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Bramlage Coliseum — Manhattan, Kansas
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Watch on Connected TV: CBS Sports App on Roku and Fire TV
- Live Stream: CBSSports.com or fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $8.16
What to Know
Kansas State will be in front of their home fans on Monday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They and the Cincinnati Bearcats will face off in a Big 12 battle at 7:00 p.m. ET at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have a tough task ahead: they’ll enter the contest with three straight defeats, while the Bearcats will come in with four straight victories.
Kansas State was supposed to head into this matchup following a close win against Wichita State, but that’s certainly not how things went down last Saturday. Kansas State wound up on the wrong side of a bruising 84-65 walloping at the hands of Wichita State. For those keeping track at home, that’s the biggest loss the Wildcats have suffered since March 14th.
Despite their defeat, Kansas State saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Macaleab Rich, who went 8 for 13 en route to 20 points plus two steals, was perhaps the best of all. The dominant performance also gave Rich a new career-high in threes (three). Less helpful for Kansas State was David Castillo’s abysmal 0-7 three-point shooting.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati blew past Grambling State, posting an 84-49 victory. The Bearcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 23 points or more this season.
Cincinnati’s success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Aziz Bandaogo led the charge by going 5 for 6 en route to 15 points plus six rebounds. Bandaogo had some trouble finding his footing against Dayton last Friday, so this was a nice turnaround. Another player making a difference was Dillon Mitchell, who went 6 for 9 en route to 13 points plus seven rebounds and three steals.
Cincinnati smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in six consecutive matches.
Kansas State’s loss dropped their record down to 6-5. As for Cincinnati, they pushed their record up to 10-1 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Kansas State hasn’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 78.1 points per game. However, it’s not like Cincinnati struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 79.5. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Kansas State couldn’t quite finish off Cincinnati in their previous matchup back in March and fell 74-72. Will Kansas State have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
Cincinnati is a 3.5-point favorite against Kansas State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 3.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 140.5 points.
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Series History
Cincinnati has won both of the games they’ve played against Kansas State in the last 7 years.
- Mar 02, 2024 – Cincinnati 74 vs. Kansas State 72
- Mar 17, 2017 – Cincinnati 75 vs. Kansas State 61
