CIN @ DAY

Cincinnati arrives looking to close

Cincinnati is coming off a 63-61 loss to Minnesota on a last-second three after opening with wins over American and Green Bay, while Dayton has dropped two straight at UD Arena.

Dayton’s free-throw defense needs a reset

Siena outscored Dayton by 22 points at the free-throw line in its 99-89 win; keeping Cincinnati off the stripe could be important.

Hastings remains a question for Cincinnati

Jayden Hastings is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury after missing Cincinnati’s last two games; his availability could affect the Bearcats’ frontcourt.

Lowery’s status bears watching

Zaide Lowery is listed as questionable with a foot injury after missing Dayton’s recent games; treat his status as uncertain.

A rivalry returns to UD Arena

Cincinnati’s first visit to UD Arena in 22 years comes with a 62-32 series lead.

Pick Ideas

Angles drawn from the matchup analysis above and refreshed as the news changes. They are a separate read from the LineCrush pick for this matchup, so the two can land on different sides.

Wait for a playable Cincinnati price

No market is currently listed; if a moneyline appears, compare it with ESPN’s 72% Cincinnati win probability, or roughly -257 fair odds.

Conditional look at the under

With KenPom’s 76-70 projection (146 total), consider the under at 151.5 or higher.

Derkack rebounds prop

If Aiden Derkack’s rebound line is 9.5 or lower, consider the over: he averaged 10.3 rebounds over his last three games.