The No. 17 Houston Cougars (15-1, 2-1 AAC) welcome the Wichita State Shockers (7-7, 0-2 AAC) to Fertitta Center as they attempt to lengthen their 13-game home winning streak. The game will air on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 12, 2019.
Wichita State Shockers vs. Houston Cougars Betting Prediction
The last time the Shockers played, they were defeated by the Temple Owls, 85-81. Temple’s turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Wichita State. The Owls had a rate of 12.5 (better than their season average of 13.8), while the Shockers posted a mark of 23.0 (above their season average of 15.8). Markis McDuffie was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 7-for-17 shooting.
The Cougars were beaten by the Temple Owls in their last matchup, 73-69. Temple made good use of their 28 trips to the charity stripe, making 25 of them (89.3 percent). Houston, meanwhile, was just 11-17 (64.7 percent). With 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, Breaon Brady was Houston’s high scorer.
After the Cougars won two out of three meetings against the Shockers last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last matchup, Houston won 77-74. The Cougars had a much better turnover percentage (9.3 vs. 14.9) and had a better free throw rate (0.418 vs. 0.393).
Houston could have their way on the defensive side of the ball as they square off against one of the worst offenses in the NCAA. The Cougars currently rank third in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.420), while Wichita State is 311th in effective field goal percentage (0.474).
Wichita State Shockers vs. Houston Cougars Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Houston, ATS Winner – Wichita State, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Houston ranks ninth in rebounds per game (42.5) while Wichita State ranks 131st in rebounds allowed per game (35.1).
The Shockers average 24.2 three pointers per game, which ranks 93rd in the country. The Cougars rank 188th in three pointers allowed per game (24.3).
Houston ranks 33rd in blocks per game (4.7) while Wichita State ranks 108th (3.0).
The Cougars rank 29th in assists allowed per game (10.6) while the Shockers rank 65th (11.9).
Houston ranks 64th in steals per game (7.3) while Wichita State ranks 77th in steals allowed per game (6.1).
Bettings Trends:
The Shockers’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 1.4, up from 0.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cougars have scored an average of 77.6 points per game (2.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 61.8 points per game (1.7 above their season average).
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