The Texas Longhorns take on the UConn Huskies in Hartford, CT. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
UConn is favored by -13 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1000. The total is set at 146.5 points.
Here are my Texas vs. UConn predictions and college basketball picks for December 12, 2025.
Texas vs UConn Prediction
My Pick: UConn -13 (Play to -14.5)
My Texas vs UConn best bet is on the Huskies to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Texas vs. UConn Odds
| Texas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | +650 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | -1000 |
- Texas vs UConn spread: UConn -12.5
- Texas vs UConn over/under: 146.5 points
- Texas vs UConn moneyline: Texas +650, UConn -1000
Texas vs UConn College Basketball Betting Preview
Texas Basketball
There was no shortage of excitement for the Sean Miller era at Texas. So far, it's been a significant disappointment, as the Longhorns enter Friday with a 7-3 record, with five of their wins coming against teams outside KenPom's top 300.
I'm a bit surprised by the Longhorns' offensive and defensive numbers thus far. I'd attribute Texas's 25th-ranked offense to its fairly weak schedule and its 103rd-ranked defense to some misfortune.
Texas lacks a true point guard and a true go-to scorer. Dailyn Swain leads the Longhorns with just 3.5 assists per game. He also adds 15.7 points per night (second most on the roster). The team-leader in scoring is seven-footer Matas Vokietaits (15.9 PPG).
The issue with that pair — and Tramon Mark — is that none of the three are shooters. Swain is well below 30% from 3 in his career, while Mark has made a mark by taking (and sometimes making) tough mid-range shots.
In Maui, Texas dropped 102 points and went 16-for-30 from 3 in a win over NC State. It began with Jordan Pope drilling seven 3s, but that feels like the outlier. Texas will somehow need to mirror that outing to compete in Storrs.
The Longhorns are top-50 in 2-point field goal percentage and 10th in KenPom's FTA/FGA metric. I feel that the weaker matchups have boosted the interior scoring numbers for Texas.
UConn is one of the best interior defenses in the country, and Texas shot 33% on 2s against Duke, a team with similar length to UConn.
On the flip side, Texas is due for some real positive regression on defense. Teams are shooting a likely unsustainable 36.3% from deep. Compared to the Longhorns limiting teams to 44.2% from inside the arc, I think Texas is just a better defense than the numbers say.
UConn Basketball
One month into the year, UConn is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive teams in America. The 9-1 Huskies own four wins (BYU, Kansas, Florida, Illinois) over top-20 KenPom teams.
UConn has just one loss (to Arizona), and it didn't have big-man Tarris Reed Jr. or Braylon Mullins in the loss.
Now fully healthy, the Huskies have a perfect blend of offensive and defensive dominance. They rank seventh in defensive efficiency, while ranking top-20 in 2-point percentage (44.4), 3-point percentage (26.8%) and effective field goal percentage (42.9%).
However, UConn got bullied a bit on the glass in the win over Florida. There's no shame in that — the Gators pummel everyone on the glass — but that's the one glaring weakness for UConn. It'll need to keep the length of Texas' athletes off the offensive boards.
I'm also buying into the Huskies' offense. They sit 14th in offensive efficiency, and that seems like the floor for them. Mullins will only improve and Solo Ball — who leads the Huskies in scoring — is shooting 29% from 3.
When/if Ball shoots better and Mullins gets more comfortable, the Huskies are easily a top-10 offense.
Not to mention, Alex Karaban is back to burning opposing teams' momentum with gut-punch 3s.
Reed is close to full health. Plus, backup point guard Malachi Smith is a better table-setter than Silas Demary Jr. Smith had nine dimes in the win over Florida, and the offense ran better with the Dayton transfer at the controls.
Texas vs. UConn Betting Analysis
I just don't see how Texas scores enough to cover the spread. The Longhorns' defense will probably improve, but so will UConn's already elite offense.
Size-wise, UConn has Texas matched across the board. The Horns can use their length advantage in many games, but this isn't one of them.
The Huskies' defense will bait the tough shot-artists — Swain, Pope and Mark — into those tough looks, and I can't seem them making many of them.
The key, as I touched on, is the glass. If UConn can force Texas to only get one shot, this feels like a clear blowout for the Huskies.
My Pick: UConn -13 (Play to -14.5)
