The Memphis Tigers will be at Hofheinz Pavilion to play the Houston Cougars in an American Athletic Conference matchup. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Cougars are hoping for a better outcome after their 77-63 loss to Tulsa on Sunday. Devonta Pollard was one of the best players for the Cougars, putting up 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists. The Tigers are coming off a 63-59 win against Cincinnati on Saturday. Shaq Goodwin had a good game, accumulating 20 points and 11 rebounds to claim his fourth double-double of the season.
Goodwin has been hot over the last five games for the Tigers, averaging 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.0 blocks.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the prolific offense of Houston (24th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 115.0) takes on the top-notch defense of Memphis (13th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 93.6).
The Cougars come into this game 16-7 Straight Up (SU) and 9-8-1 Against The Spread (ATS). 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 14.0 offensive boards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Cougars prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 37th in the nation with 135 total three-pointers allowed (5.0 per game).
Over on the other bench, the Tigers have 14-9 SU and 8-11-1 ATS records. Offensively, they average 78.2 points per game on the road, which is 25th in the country. The Tigers are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 469 free throws made ranks sixth in Division I. Memphis is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in Division I. The Tigers average 13.5 offensive rebounds per game, making them the 27th-best team in the country for that category. Memphis’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents shooting only .311 from the three. When it comes to defending the rim, the Tigers are one of the best in the nation with an average of 6.2 blocks per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Houston and Memphis played, Memphis won, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 7-3. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5. Memphis held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times in the last five game, while Houston wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem, ATS Winner – Mem
Notes
“Houston is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston’s last 10 games “.
“Houston is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games at home”.
“Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Memphis”.
“Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Memphis”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games when playing Memphis”.
“Houston is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Memphis”.
“Houston is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Memphis”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston’s last 9 games when playing at home against Memphis”.
Memphis is an even 5-5 SU against the conference, while Houston sits at 6-5 SU.
Memphis averages 76.6 points per game (ranked 85th). Houston, on the other hand, allows 69.2 points per game (ranked 102nd).
Memphis is one of the top-scoring teams on the road, averaging 78.2 points per game (ranked 25th). Houston, on the other hand, allows 66.8 points per home game (ranked 107th).
The Memphis Tigers average 73.9 possessions per game and 1.036 points per possession. The Houston Cougars earn fewer possessions with 67.5, but they score more points with 1.150.
The Houston Cougars average an effective field goal percentage of 51.7% this season. The Memphis Tigers have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have an eFG% of 51.7% or greater.
On average, the Houston Cougars attempt 20.0 three point field goals per game and the Memphis Tigers attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Houston has an 8-6 record and Memphis has a 5-7 record.
Memphis ranks 87th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.20. Houston is ranked lower at 105th with an A/TO of 1.17.
Memphis, the ninth-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 41.9 rebounds per game. Houston ranks 64th with 38.8.
The Memphis Tigers rank 27th in offensive rebounds. The Houston Cougars rank 222nd in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Houston has forced an average turnover percentage of 19.2% this season. Memphis has an underachieving 3-5 record when its TO% is 19.2% or higher.
