The No. 13-ranked SMU Mustangs (19-1) head to Houston to take on the Cougars (15-6) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 1 and can be seen on CCS.
The Cougars enter this game hoping for similar success after topping East Carolina 97-93 on Saturday. Damyean Dotson played a pivotal role, recording his fifth double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The Mustangs, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-68 win against Memphis on Saturday. Nic Moore was the game’s top scorer, registering 22 points on 6-for-12 shooting.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the nation’s top offenses match up. Houston ranks 23rd in the country with 115.5 points per 100 possessions, while SMU is third in that metric (121.7). The Mustangs could also control the offensive glass in this matchup, as they rank second in the nation in OR% at 42.7%. The Cougars, meanwhile, place near the bottom of the nation (304th) on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 67.3%.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Mustangs winning the first matchup 77-73. Markus Kennedy put up 16 points and 10 rebounds.
SMU takes on Houston as a five-point favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 148 points. The Cougars have gone 15-6 Straight Up (SU) and 8-7-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cougars have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 71.8 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 78.6 points per game. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Houston in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 14.3 offensive boards per game. Crossing over to the defensive end of the court, the Cougars prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 33rd in the nation with 121 total three-pointers allowed (5.0 per game). Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Houston offense, which averages just 11.1 turnovers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Mustangs have records of 7-9 ATS and 19-1 SU. Offensively, they average 80.0 points per game, which is good for 38th in the country. The Mustangs have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 13.6 offensive rebounds per game, 26th in the country. The Mustangs are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 22nd in Division I at 1.45. Moving on to the SMU defense, the Mustangs allow just 66.3 points per road game, ranking them 27th in the nation.
The Mustangs’ win over Houston in their last clash bumped their SU record over their most recent meetings to 6-4. The Cougars lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. In these last five matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
Houston is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games.
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
Houston is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston’s last 8 games when playing Southern Methodist.
SMU sits at 8-1 SU against its conference rivals, while Houston is 5-4 SU.
SMU averages 80.0 points per game (ranked 38th). Houston, on the other hand, allows 68.9 points per game (ranked 117th).
SMU scores 75.7 points per away game (ranked 50th). Houston ranks a poor 143rd in points allowed at home, allowing 66.7 points.
Ranked third, the SMU Mustangs have an offensive rating of 121.7. The Houston Cougars, on the other hand, rank 144th with a defensive rating of 101.6.
The Houston Cougars average a field goal percentage of 45.9% this season. The SMU Mustangs have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 45.9% or greater.
The Houston Cougars and the SMU Mustangs both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Houston is 113th and 85th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while SMU ranks 15th and fourth in these categories.
The SMU Mustangs rank 11th in assists per game, making an average of 17.8. The Houston Cougars are among the worst in the country with 13.3 assists per game (ranked 186th).
SMU, the 52nd-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.8 per game. Houston does worse, ranked 116th with 4.0.
Houston is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 13th. SMU ranks 73rd in defensive rebounds.
The Houston Cougars make an average of 6.4 steals per game. When the SMU Mustangs allow 6 or more steals, they are an outstanding 15-1.
