This matchup between the Grand Canyon Antelopes and Houston Cougars will take place at Cox Pavilion. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 21.
The Cougars beat Eastern Illinois 81-65 on Saturday. Ronnie Johnson led all scorers on the team with 25 points on 7-for-14 shooting. The Antelopes, meanwhile, are coming off a 52-45 win over San Diego State on Friday. Keonta Vernon had a good game, accumulating 16 points and 11 rebounds to claim his second double-double of the season.
Houston is a small one-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 145 points. The Cougars enter the game with records of 8-1 Straight Up (SU) and 4-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cougars have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 85.6 points per game. Houston has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a stellar .751. Teams have a tough time keeping Houston off of the offensive glass. They rank 46th in Division I in offensive rebounds. Turning to the defensive end, the Cougars have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 5.0 three-pointers made per game. Houston has given up very few turnovers with an average of only 10.7 per game.
The Antelopes are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 199 free throws made ranks 44th in Division I.
Houston and Grand Canyon have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
Houston is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 85.6 points per game (ranked 18th). Grand Canyon, on the other hand, allows 68.4 points per game (ranked 120th).
Houston scores 89.1 points per home game (ranked 32nd). Grand Canyon ranks a poor 222nd in points allowed on the road, allowing 78.0 points.
Ranked 97th, the Grand Canyon Antelopes have an offensive rating of 110.4. The Houston Cougars rank 156th with a defensive rating of just 100.3.
The Houston Cougars have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 19th in the nation with a FG% of 49.4%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Grand Canyon Antelopes are winless with a 0-2 record.
The Houston Cougars and the Grand Canyon Antelopes both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Houston is 37th and 19th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Grand Canyon ranks 124th and 64th in these categories.
Grand Canyon ranks 83rd in assists, recording 15.3 per game. Houston performs worse at 158th with 13.9 assists per game.
Houston ranks 91st in rebounds per game with 39.3 and Grand Canyon ranks 73rd with 40.1 rebounds per game.
The Grand Canyon Antelopes rank 57th in offensive rebounds. The Houston Cougars rank 181st in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Houston forces a turnover rate of 20.0%. When Grand Canyon turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 5-2 record.
