#25 Cincinnati @ #12 Houston

Who will WIN this matchup?

#25 Cincinnati Bearcats (20-3)

@ #12 Houston Cougars (22-1)

Current odds:

Cincinnati Bearcats: (+180)

Houston Cougars: (-220)

• The line for this game is Houston by 4.5 points.

• The top teams in the American Athletic Conference square off with first place on the line when No. 23 Cincinnati visits 12th-ranked Houston on Sunday afternoon in the first of two meetings this season. Houston has won seven straight games since its lone loss against Temple while the Bearcats have strung together eight victories in a row after rallying for a key 69-64 win at Memphis on Thursday. The Cougars, who were sixth in the nation in scoring defense (60.8) entering Saturday, took a 15-point halftime lead at Central Florida before holding on for a 77-68 victory on Thursday as senior Corey Davis Jr. poured in 26 points. “If you just take a while picket fence and put it around the paint, that’s how our defense is,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told reporters after the win. “(UCF) made some difficult shots tonight, but we didn’t give up any easy shots.”

• The Cougars will need more of the same to contain league player of the year candidate Jarron Cumberland (18.6 points, 3.6 assists), who leads an experienced and otherwise balanced team that has grinded out the last three wins by a total of 14 points and sits just outside the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense (61.7). “It helps to have a great player to put the ball in the basket late in games,” Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin told reporters after the win at Memphis. “Jarron Cumberland is a great player.”

• Cumberland, a junior guard, is averaging 23.3 points over the last seven games and is the only Bearcat scoring at least 11 per contest with sophomore guard Keith Williams contributing 10.9. Junior forward Tre Scott (9.5 points, 6.4 rebounds) scored 13 and pulled down nine boards versus Memphis while junior center Nysier Brooks (8.1, 5.7) shoots 57.1 percent from the field. The Bearcats turn the ball over only 10.7 times per game – best in the American – and senior guard Justin Jenifer (9.0 points) leads the way with 73 assists against 15 turnovers.

• Davis has poured in 50 points combined the last two games on 13-of-24 shooting to push his team-high scoring average to 15.5 – just ahead of junior guard Armoni Brooks (14.3), who tops the Cougars in rebounds (6.2). Senior guard Galen Robinson Jr. runs the show and is second in the American in assists (5.4) after dishing out seven against UCF to go along with 12 points an five rebounds. Sophomore guard DeJon Jarreau (7.8 points) scored 14 and hauled in 12 rebounds as the Cougars avenged the loss to Temple on Jan. 31 before being held to four points against UCF.

• Houston senior F Breaon Brady (7.0 points, 4.9 rebounds) was limited to a season-low three minutes by foul trouble Thursday.

• Cincinnati sophomore G Trevor Moore has connected on 4-of-8 from 3-point range the last two games.

• The Bearcats took two of three from the Cougars last season, including a 56-55 triumph in the conference tournament final.