The Houston Cougars (21-4) travel to face off against the Arizona Wildcats (17-7) on Saturday, February 15th. This game will be played at McKale Center in Tucson and televised on ESPN. Houston is coming off a win in their previous game, while Arizona is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Kansas State. Tip-off is set for 2:00 ET.

Houston Cougars vs Arizona Wildcats

The Cougars Are Coming Off A Win

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Houston improved to 21-4 on the season with a 76-65 home win over Baylor on Monday. The Cougars, who were -9.5 favorites, covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 141, surpassing the O/U line of 132.5.

Houston led 38-30 at halftime and scored 38 points in the 2nd half while allowing 35 points to Baylor.

The Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win

Arizona Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Arizona fell to 17-7 on the season after a 73-70 road loss to Kansas State on Tuesday. The Wildcats were -3 favorites but couldn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 143, falling short of the 149.5 O/U line.

Arizona trailed 35-29 at halftime but made a push in the 2nd half, outscoring Kansas State 41-38. However, it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Houston’s offense was clicking in their last game, shooting 50.9% from the field and hitting 41.7% from beyond the arc, finishing with 10 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 60.4%, and they connected on 75% of their free throws, going 12-for-16 from the line.

Norchad Omier led the way with 19 points, shooting 8-for-9 from the field. Langston Love added 15 points, hitting 4-of-5 from three, while VJ Edgecombe was perfect from the field, going 5-for-5 and finishing with 14 points. The Cougars also dished out 17 assists in the win.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Arizona’s offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 2 of 22 three-point attempts for a 9.1% success rate. Overall, they shot 41.3% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 42.9%. Inside the arc, they were much more efficient, connecting on 58.5% of their two-point shots.

At the free-throw line, the Wildcats were solid, making 16 of 19 attempts for an 84.2% rate. Dug McDaniel led the team with 24 points and 3 assists, while David N’Guessan added 16 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 77.8% from the field. KJ Lewis contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds, hitting 50% of his shots.

Cougars Team Defense

Even with a strong offensive performance, Houston’s defense couldn’t hold up, allowing 65 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Cougars gave up 27 made field goals, including 17 from inside the arc, where their opponents shot 58%.

From three-point range, Houston’s defense allowed 10 threes on 24 attempts, a 41% success rate. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 12 free throws, shooting 75%.

Wildcats Team Defense

Houston’s defense gave up 65 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 50% from the field. That included 58% shooting on two-point attempts, as they went 17/29.

From beyond the arc, Houston allowed 10 threes on 24 attempts, a 41% clip. They also sent the opposition to the line 16 times, where they hit 12 free throws, shooting 75%. Houston gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Cougars vs Wildcats Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Houston has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 5-0, while averaging 76 points per game.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Arizona has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 76 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the Wildcats have an ATS record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Houston has a poor record vs the spread going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-0.

Cougars vs Wildcats Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +1.5, we recommend going with the Wildcats on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 137.5, and our model projects the Cougars and Wildcats to reach a combined total of 145 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.