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The only good news for the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Colorado Buffaloes in this matchup is that one team will finally get their first Big 12 victory. The schools performed well in their non-conference schedules, but it has not been easy since the conference portion began. They have 0-4 records and sit in a two-way tie at the bottom of the standings. The only edge one team has is that Colorado covered one of the conference losses, while Cincinnati is 0-4 against the spread. Since it is Colorado's first season in the Big 12 and Cincinnati's second, the programs haven't met since the 1982-83 season. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Cincinnati-Colorado prediction and pick.

Cincinnati hit rock bottom in their last two conference losses when they scored just 88 points against Baylor and Kansas. The interesting thing about Cincinnati is that the oddsmakers continue to believe in them, as they were favorites in three of the four games. The most discouraging loss was against Kansas when they were one-point favorites and lost by 14 points. Cincinnati had won ten of their first 11 games before the conference woes began.

Colorado has its own problems, but they are slightly more fixable than Cincinnati's. The Buffaloes' offense has been good enough to win games, but they've just been flat-out outscored in their conference games. It's easier to see a path to more wins for Colorado, especially when they were substantial underdogs in most games. The most disappointing loss was against West Virginia at home, where they were 2.5-point favorites. West Virginia came into town and won by eight points.

College Basketball Odds: Cincinnati-Colorado Odds

How to Watch Cincinnati vs. Colorado

Why Cincinnati Will Cover The Spread/Win

Cincinnati has one of the best defenses in the nation, and you have to believe they'll eventually have an outstanding defensive game and have enough of an offensive breakout to steal a victory. They remain favorites from the oddsmakers, as it's hard to bet against an elite defense, and they don't want to be on the wrong side of it when the Bearcats finally grab a victory. Cincinnati ranks eighth in the nation, allowing just 60.5 points per game.

Why Colorado Will Cover The Spread/Win

Cincinnati's issue is they are learning that an elite defense will only get you so far if your offense can't put enough points on the board to steal a victory. The Bearcats held their opponents to 72 or fewer points in their Big 12 games, including 68 against Baylor and 54 against Kansas. However, they average just 55.5 points per game in those four matchups. If Cincinnati doesn't figure out their offensive woes, they aren't going to beat anyone. You can't expect their defense to hold opponents to fewer than 55 points every game.

Final Cincinnati-Colorado Prediction & Pick

Cincinnati's defense has been elite this season, but it hasn't translated to conference victories. It's likely because their points allowed per game rise to 66 in conference play, and their offense barely struggles to score 60 points in most games. The oddsmakers may be afraid to be on the wrong side of the Bearcats' offensive breakout, but we'll have to see it to finally believe it. The Buffaloes won't want to lose back-to-back home games in Boulder.