The undefeated Washington State Cougars (3-0) look to extend their hot start when they compete against the Texas Southern Tigers (1-4) at Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Saturday, Nov. 28 and can be seen on PAC.
The Cougars come into this game on a high note after topping Cal State-Los Angeles 74-57 on Tuesday. Conor Clifford was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off a 91-80 win against Texas San Antonio on Wednesday. David Blanks led the game in scoring by posting 23 points on 8-for-9 shooting.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Washington State, a heavy 10-point favorite, takes on Texas Southern. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 153 points. The Cougars enter the game with records of 3-0 Straight Up (SU) and 1-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cougars are a dangerously accurate shooting team with a .489 field-goal percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. As for the Washington State defense, teams have to fight for open shots against the Cougars, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .376. An area where the Cougars are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 6.7 blocks per game, 10th in Division I.
Washington State and Texas Southern will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – WashSt, ATS Winner – WashSt, O/U – Over
Notes
Washington State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Texas Southern scores an average of just 71.0 points per game (ranked 247th). Washington State ranks 72nd in points allowed, giving up 64.7 points per game.
The Washington State Cougars have a defensive rating of 89.4 (ranked 39th), while the Texas Southern Tigers have an offensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 262nd).
Texas Southern has an average field goal percentage of 42.2%. Washington State is undefeated (1-0) when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Washington State Cougars rank higher based on their field goal percentage (49th) than their effective field goal percentage (57th). The Texas Southern Tigers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (209th) than their field goal percentage (233rd).
Washington State ranks 82nd in assists, registering 15.7 per game. Texas Southern performs worse at 269th with 11.8 assists per game.
Washington State, the 67th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 41.7 rebounds per game. Texas Southern does worse, ranked 285th with 34.0.
Texas Southern ranks 213th in offensive rebounds, while Washington State ranks at 96th in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 14.9% when playing Texas Southern this season. Washington State is undefeated this season (3-0) when its TO% is 14.9% or higher.
