The Washington State Cougars welcome the Texas State Bobcats to Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 18 and can be seen on PAC.
The Cougars enter this game hoping for similar success after topping UTEP 84-68 in their last matchup. Josh Hawkinson played a pivotal role, recording his fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds. The Bobcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 62-44 win against Prairie View A&M in their last game. Emani Gant claimed his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Washington State is a nine-point favorite against Texas State and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 129 points. The Cougars have gone 6-2 Straight Up (SU) and 5-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Washington State’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game. Washington State’s defenders rank 46th in Division I in steals with 8.1 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Bobcats have records of 1-1 ATS and 5-2 SU. The Bobcats allow just 58.8 points per road game, ranking them 11th in the nation. The Texas State defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 38 field goals from three-point range (5.0 per game).
Washington State and Texas State will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – WashSt, ATS Winner – WashSt, O/U – Under
Notes
Washington State is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
Washington State averages 78.4 points per game this season. Texas State is one of the highest-ranked teams in points allowed, giving up just 56.6 points per game (ranked third).
In its last game, Texas State won by a margin of 18 points. Washington State is 2-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Texas State has a 3-0 record in blowouts.
The Washington State Cougars have a defensive rating of 94.5 (ranked 62nd), while the Texas State Bobcats have an offensive rating of 97.9 (ranked 290th).
Washington State has the 13th-ranked average field goal percentage at 50.2%. Texas State has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-1).
The Washington State Cougars and the Texas State Bobcats both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Washington State is 27th and 13th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Texas State ranks 323rd and 269th in these categories.
Washington State ranks 86th in assists, registering 15.2 per game. Texas State performs worse at 294th with 11.6 assists per game.
The Texas State Bobcats rank 63rd in offensive rebounds. The Washington State Cougars rank 130th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Washington State has forced an average turnover percentage of 21.4% this season. Texas State has a losing 1-2 record when its TO% is 21.4% or higher.
