The Houston Cougars (23-3) travel to face off against the Baylor Bears (19-7) on Saturday, February 24th. This game will be played at Foster Pavilion in Waco and televised on CBS. Houston is coming off a win in their previous game, while Baylor is looking to get back on track from a loss to the BYU. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.
Houston Cougars vs Baylor Bears
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their matchup with Baylor, Houston is 23-3 overall and has won four straight games. So far, the Cougars are 10-3 in Big 12 play and a perfect 13-0 in non-conference action.
On the road, Houston is 6-3 this season and their average scoring margin is +2.0 points per game. In their last 10 games away from home, the Cougars have gone 7-3.
When looking at Houston’s ATS record this season, they are currently 12-11-2. In their 24 games as the favorite, the Cougars have gone 12-10-2 vs. the spread. On the road, Houston’s ATS mark is just 2-6-1 this year and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they are 4-4-2.
On the season, the over/under record for Houston games is 11-14. So far, the average scoring total in their games is 129.8 points compared to an average over/under line of 133. For their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 136 points.
The Baylor Bears Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After losing to BYU 78-71, Baylor has a record of 19-7. The Bears are 8-5 in Big 12 play and 11-2 in non-conference games. Baylor has been much better at home compared to on the road, going 14-1 at home compared to 4-6 on the road.
At home, the Bears have an average scoring margin of +18.8 points per game. Over their last ten games at home, Baylor is 9-1. So far this season, Baylor has been the underdog in six games and has gone 1-5 in those contests.
As the underdog this season, Baylor has gone 3-3 against the spread. At home, the Bears have an ATS record of 10-4-1. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, Baylor has an ATS mark of 4-6.
On the season, the over/under record for Baylor games is 13-12 and today’s over/under line of 135 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this season (148.2). So far, 21 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, their games have averaged 154 points compared to their season average of 153 points per game.
Houston Offense Breakdown
The Cougars’ offense finished with 73 points in their previous game, mirroring their current average of 73.9 points per contest. On the offensive front, the Cougars have a season-long field goal percentage of 43%, ranking 291st nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 174th in terms of percentage and 177th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 15.0 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 13.3 | 3.9 | 5.8 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 12.6 | 3.8 | 0.9 |
Baylor Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 82.6 points per game, Baylor struggled in their previous game. Against BYU, the Bears scored 71 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 49%. One area that the Baylor offense has been good this season is getting to the line. Currently, they are 32nd in free-throw attempts per contest. Overall, they have a field goal percentage of 49%.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ja’Kobe Walter (G) | 14.4 | 4.5 | 1.6 |
| RayJ Dennis (G) | 13.1 | 3.8 | 6.6 |
| Jalen Bridges (F) | 10.9 | 4.8 | 1.6 |
Houston Team Defense
At this time, the Cougars’ defense is positioned 1st in the country, permitting 55.3 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Houston’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 37.3% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 29.7% this season.
Baylor Team Defense
At present, the Bears’ defense is nationally ranked 143rd, allowing 71.0 points per game. So far, the Baylor defense is giving up an average of 8.0 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 11 times per game (497th).
Cougars vs Bears Trends
- Although Houston has a straight up record of 7-3 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-6-1. The team averaged 68 points per game in these games.
- In their last five home games, Baylor has averaged 75 points per game while allowing 73. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 4-1.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Bears have a straight up record of 2-8. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.
- In their last five contests as the favorite, Houston has a poor record vs the spread going 1-2-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 5-0.
Cougars vs Bears Prediction
Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +2.5, the Bears is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 135, and our model projects the Cougars and Bears to reach a combined total of 142 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* 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.
Last updated:February 24, 2024 Baylor Bears, Houston Cougars