American University vs Cincinnati Prediction 11/2/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The American Eagles and the Cincinnati Bearcats meet Monday in college basketball action from the Fifth Third Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. 

American Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Prediction

I’m leaning towards American and the points here. I think this is a comfortable Cincinnati win for the new look Bearcats who have a lot of optimism with this new team and their new coach who had been a proven winner. However, American’s a solid program that’s had a history of being competitive in step up spots in the past, and I think American can keep it within the number here as they have a ton of continuity from last year’s team. Give me the Eagles and the points in this one.

American Eagles Recap

The American Eagles enter the 2026-27 season aiming for progress under head coach Duane Simpkins after finishing the 2025-26 campaign with a 16-16 record overall and a 9-9 mark in Patriot League play. American displayed solid competitiveness down the stretch, securing conference wins over Navy, Colgate, and Bucknell, but consistency remained an issue, ending with back-to-back close losses to Lehigh and Boston University to close out the regular season. Entering the Patriot League tournament as the 5-seed, their postseason was cut short with a tight 73-75 quarterfinal loss to 4-seed Boston University. Unlike many teams facing heavy roster overhauls, American brings back a deep group of returners, anchored by Madden Collins, Greg Jones, and Julen Iturbe. Collins leads the returning core after posting 13.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while Jones contributed 12.5 points per contest. The primary roster loss is Geoff Sprouse, but the Eagles add incoming newcomers Kamran Prince and DJ Sandi to the rotation. With experienced production returning and key additions joining the fold, American has a strong baseline to push higher in the Patriot League standings this upcoming season.

Why the American University Eagles will win

• The road team has won four of American University’s last five games.
• The road team has won the first half in four of American University’s last five games.

Cincinnati Bearcats Recap

The Cincinnati Bearcats enter the 2026-27 season ushering in a complete fresh start under new head coach Jerrod Calhoun following a 2025-26 campaign where Cincinnati went 18-15 overall and 9-9 in Big 12 conference play under former coach Wes Miller. The Bearcats showed serious grit in conference play last season, picking up solid victories over Baylor, Kansas State, Utah, and an impressive 84-68 road win over Kansas, though they struggled with consistency during a mid-season stretch of losses to Houston, West Virginia, and Texas Tech. Cincinnati earned a spot in the Big 12 tournament where they knocked off Utah 73-66 in the first round before falling in a heartbreaker to UCF, 65-66 in overtime in the second round. The primary challenge for Cincinnati heading into 2026-27 is that they essentially face a total roster overhaul with practically zero returning scoring production, but the transfer portal brought in a significant influx of proven talent. Leading the new-look roster are major transfer portal additions including Tyler Tejada from Towson, who averaged 17.7 points per game, MJ Collins from Utah State, who averaged 17.5 points, and Tylen Riley from Tulsa, who posted 15 points and 4.4 assists per game. While navigating a totally revamped rotation in the competitive Big 12 brings plenty of unknown variables, the depth of incoming proven talent gives Cincinnati a dangerous foundation to make serious noise this season.

Why the Cincinnati Bearcats will win

• American University has lost each of its last 11 road games against non-Conference opponents.
• Cincinnati has won 33 of its last 34 night games against non-Conference opponents at Fifth Third Arena.
• Cincinnati has won the first half in each of its last 12 games at Fifth Third Arena.

Chris Ruffolo's Pick: Cincinnati -24.5