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Northwestern was dealt the bad hand Sunday as they will have to face off against tournament favorite and reigning champs, the UConn Huskies. Yes you can bet Northwestern along with player props from the state of Illinois and UConn from Connecticut on sites like BetUS (now celebrating their 30th year in business). Regulated apps in both states prohibit wagering on this game.
End of the Road for Northwestern?
Don't count this No. 9 seed Wildcats team out. This is only the third appearance for Northwestern. The 2022–23 team finished in a tie for second place in the Big Ten regular season, which was their best finish in the conference since the 1958–59 season.
And this year's Wildcats team?
They just knocked off an FAU team that made it all the way to the Final Four last year and it is easy to see why this might be the best Northwestern squad ever.
The loss of star Ty Berry to a season-ending knee injury hasn't slowed this team down any thanks to the surprise play of his replacement sophomore walk-on guard Blake Smith. He was an unlikely choice for head coach Chris Collins.
“He just (said) ‘I think you’d be a good fit to step in and help out defensively and help us bring energy on the court, and I’d like you to drop the redshirt,’” Smith said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I would love to help the team as best as possible,’ especially since we had such a great groove.”
Then there is Ryan Langborg, the hero of the first round game against Florida Atlantic.
Langborg played on last year's Cinderella team, Princeton, and caught the eye of Collins.
“I don’t know, something about that kid — you get to the dance and he’s ready to go," Collins said.
Langborg would go on to score 12 of his career-high 27 points in overtime Friday night against the Owls. That was also a record number of points for Northwestern in an NCAA tournament game.
“I usually don’t celebrate a lot when I make shots, but I know I had my tongue out and things like that,” said Langborg, whose score total for Sunday is set at 13.5.
All eyes will be on Boo Buie however. He comes into this game with the highest scoring total Over/Under of any player for either team, 17.5.
As for the Huskies, their record this season is 11-1 in non-conference play. They've only lost three games in 2023-24.
UConn makes 49.7% of its shots from the field this season, which is 4.9 percentage points higher than Northwestern has allowed to its opponents (44.8%). They are averaging 81.0 points per game.
Donovan Clingan is averaging 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds over the last 10 games. His point total for this game is set at 12.5.
Northwestern-UConn Player Props
Scoring
Alex Karaban (12.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Cam Spencer (13.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Donovan Clingan (12.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Stephon Castle (10.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Tristen Newton (14.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Brooks Barnhizer (12.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Boo Buie (17.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Nick Martinelli (11.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Ryan Langborg (13.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Rebounds
Alex Karaban (4.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Cam Spencer (3.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Donovan Clingan (8.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Stephon Castle (4.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Tristen Newton (6.5)
Connecticut Huskies
Brooks Barnhizer (8.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Boo Buie (2.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Nick Martinelli (5.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Ryan Langborg (3.5)
Northwestern Wildcats
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
