The Washington State Cougars visit Cowan Spectrum at the Kibbie Dome to take on the Idaho Vandals. The game gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Dec. 10.
The Vandals are hoping for a better outcome after their 74-55 loss to USC on Monday. Nahshon George was the best player for the Vandals, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, and one steal. The Cougars are coming off a 91-67 win against Portland State on Sunday. Josh Hawkinson claimed his third double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Idaho, a six-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Washington State. The matchup currently has a 138-point Over/Under (O/U). The Vandals look to improve upon their records of 5-5 Straight Up (SU) and 4-3 Against The Spread (ATS).
On the other side, the Cougars head into the game with records of 4-1 ATS and 5-1 SU. The Cougars convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking 26th in the country at .492. Switching gears to the Washington State defense, the Cougars allow very few three-pointers on defense with 5.0 given up per game. They average 6.8 blocks per game, good for fourth in the nation.
These two meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Idaho won the last game in the matchup, but Washington State still leads the head-to-head record, 9-1 SU. Additionally, with a 7-2 record, Washington State has the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – WashSt, ATS Winner – WashSt, O/U – Over
Notes
Idaho is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
Idaho is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home.
Idaho is 1-17 SU in its last 18 games when playing Washington State.
Idaho is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington State.
Washington State averages 78.2 points per game, placing the team just 104th in the nation. Idaho ranks 60th in points allowed, giving up 64.9 points per game.
The Washington State Cougars have a defensive rating of 91.7 (ranked 39th), while the Idaho Vandals have an offensive rating of 92.8 (ranked 322nd).
Washington State beats Idaho in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Cougars average 71.6 possessions and 1.092 points per possession, while the Vandals average 68.0 possessions with .928 points per possession.
The Idaho Vandals average an effective field goal percentage of 46.3% this season. The Washington State Cougars have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have an eFG% of 46.3% or greater.
The Idaho Vandals attempt 19.0 three pointers per game, and the Washington State Cougars attempt 18.0 on average. When attempting at least 20 three pointers this season, Idaho is 2-3 and Washington State is a perfect 3-0.
Idaho makes 5.3 steals per game. In games where it gives up 5 or more steals, Washington State is undefeated at 5-0.
