New Hampshire vs. No. 5 UConn college basketball odds, trends: Huskies would make NCAA history with double-digit victory

It's a typically light Monday around college basketball, but history would be made tonight if No. 5 UConn beats visiting New Hampshire by at least 10 points. That seems pretty likely with the Huskies currently 31.5-point favorites on the SportsLine consensus – although it could be a bit of a trap game with UConn visiting Kansas on Friday in one of the non-conference games of the year.

On Friday, the Huskies improved to 6-0 this season with a 90-60 blowout of Manhattan for their 23rd consecutive non-conference win by double digits – which does include the 2023 NCAA Tournament title run. UConn was 17-0 overall in non-conference play last year. The streak started in the 2022-23 opener, an 85-54 win over Stonehill.

Coach Dan Hurley's club has definitely played some cupcakes during the run but also some very good teams, so it's hardly a fluke. The 2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels were the only other team to win 23 straight non-conference games by at least 10 points. That Carolina team won the national title. UConn is +1600 to repeat.

"Obviously, it's in the back of our heads," UConn's Donovan Clingan said. "We're trying to go be a part of history and do something no team has done."

UConn played a fourth straight game Friday without touted freshman guard Stephon Castle, who suffered a minor knee injury on Nov. 11 against Stonehill. Castle is not expected back Monday, but the team is hopeful he could play Friday vs. the Jayhawks (when that double-digit non-conference streak is at much greater risk of ending). He will not be rushed, either. Castle, ranked by sister-site 247Sports as the No. 9 national prospect, is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

The Huskies rank first in the Big East and top-20 nationally in both scoring offense (89.5 points per game) and scoring defense (60.0 PPG) and are third in the country in scoring margin (29.5 PPG). Five players are averaging at least 12.7 PPG. Tristen Newton had a triple-double in Friday's win, his school-record third in his Huskies career.

America East school New Hampshire is no pushover at 4-2 and has played one power conference school, losing by 11 at Syracuse in the season-opener. The Wildcats are a good offensive team as well at 82.2 PPG, led by Clarence Daniels' 20.8 points (first in America East) and 9.0 rebounds per game (second).

Connecticut and New Hampshire used to be fellow Yankee Conference members – can't say I've heard of that one. UConn leads the all-time series 94-25 and easily won in the last meeting in December 2019.

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