Tuesday College Basketball Odds & Betting Picks: Cincinnati vs. Vermont, Belmont vs. Lipscomb

Vermont has been a true college basketball road warrior all season, while Belmont has shined at home.

Tonight, the Catamounts head to Cincinnati for a rock fight against the Bearcats, while Belmont hosts a Lipscomb team that will need to start scoring to stay competitive against the Bruins.

Let's see which teams have the advantage on the college hardwood.

Tuesday College Basketball Betting

Odds as of Tuesday morning and via PointsBet, where Action Network users can access an exclusive promotion to get a 200% deposit match (deposit $50, bet with $150).No strings attached. No rollover required.

Cincinnati vs. Vermont

• Spread: Cincinnati -7.5
• Over/Under: 132.5
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: CBSSN

Vermont head coach John Becker believes in playing a challenging non-conference schedule, and this year is no exception.

The Catamounts (6-3) have played difficult road games at St. Bonaventure, Bucknell, St. John’s, Virginia, and Yale. They have tallied a respectable 3-2 record including a six-point loss at UVA. Traveling to Fifth Third Arena to play the Bearcats will not intimidate coach Becker’s squad.

The Catamounts again boast one of the nation’s best defenses, ranking Top 30 in both effective field goal percentage allowed and 3P% allowed. Vermont is only allowing opponents to shoot 29.7% from beyond the arc.

Vermont is also tremendous on the boards, limiting opponents to just a 25% offensive rebounding percentage, well below the 28.2% Division I average (KenPom).

Cincinnati (5-2) has also been off to a good start under first-year coach John Brannen. The Bearcats have continued their stifling defensive pressure ranking 33rd overall in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Bearcats beat up Drake and Alabama A&M at home before barely beating UNLV in overtime on Saturday.

With the annual Crosstown Shootout upcoming at Xavier next Saturday, this is the quintessential lookahead spot for the Bearcats. This game profiles as a slow-paced, defensive-oriented game with points at a premium.

It is also concerning that the Bearcats are only 1-6 against the spread this season including 1-4 at home.

Vermont has remained competitive despite early season struggles from forward Anthony Lamb (16.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg). The senior forward is only shooting 23.4% from 3P, well below his 36.5% from last season. I expect positive regression for Lamb very soon.

Coach Becker called out his team after their 65-52 loss at Yale for "not being tough enough." I expect a big effort from Vermont against Cincinnati, and the 7.5 points are a nice security blanket in a game the Catamounts can win.

The Pick: Vermont +7.5 [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]

Belmont vs. Lipscomb

• Spread: Belmont -13.5
• Over/Under: 148.5
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• ESPN+

Belmont returns to Nashville after a four-game road trip. The Bruins went 2-2 including a 73-67 win at Lipscomb.

When Belmont returns home, it usually lights up the scoreboard. The Bruins averaged 90.5 points per game at home last season, and have scored an average of 92.5 points at the Curb Event Center this year.

Belmont is a prime example of efficient offensive basketball, ranking 45th in adjusted offensive efficiency, 58th in 3P% while ranking 60th with only a 17% offensive turnover percentage.

Lipscomb (3-5) has struggled mightily on the offensive end this season, a stark contrast from last season’s 29-8 campaign. The Bisons are only shooting 28.9% from 3P, down from 37.5% in 2018-2019. Lipscomb also ranks 250th in offensive turnover percentage and is shooting only 67.3% (241st) from the free-throw line.

Belmont won the first matchup between these two teams by six points several weeks ago, despite only shooting 25% (8 for 32) from beyond the arc. The Bruins will likely shoot much better at home, putting pressure on a mediocre Lipscomb defense.

I see a likely increase in Belmont’s shooting efficiency and a pace that Lipscomb struggles to maintain. Playing against the Bruins at home is not ideal for a team that has been lagging on offense.

The Bisons are only 2-3 against the spread on the road this season.

I’ll give the points with the Bruins (2-0 ATS at home) and its sizable scoring home-court advantage.

The Pick: Belmont – 13.5 [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]

Mike Randle is 660-643-27 (50.7%) overall betting on college basketball. You can follow him in our free app.