The Houston Cougars (16-2) travel to face off against the BYU Cougars (14-4) on Tuesday, January 23rd. This game will be played at Marriott Center in Provo and televised on ESPN+. Houston is coming off a win in their previous game, while BYU is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Texas Tech. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.
Houston Cougars vs BYU Cougars
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
After starting the season 8-0 on the road, Houston has gone just 3-2 in their last five games away from home.
Overall, the Cougars have been favored in 17 of their 18 games, going 15-2 in those games.
As the favorite this season, Houston has gone 9-8 against the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cougars have an ATS mark of 5-5. On the road, Houston is just 1-4 vs. the spread this year and their ATS record in their last three road games is 0-3. Overall, their road ATS mark for their last 10 games is 2-7.
This season, the over/under record for Houston games is 5-12, and today’s over/under line of 135.5 is higher than the average OU line in their games (133.4). So far, 13 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 121 points, which is lower than today’s over/under line.
The BYU Cougars Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
BYU has been dominant at home this season, going 11-1 with an average scoring margin of +27.2. They are 14-2 when favored, but 0-2 when the underdog. In their last game, they lost to Texas Tech, 85-78.
So far, BYU is 14-4 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play. In their last ten games at home, they have gone 9-1. For the season, they are scoring an average of 77.1 points per game and allowing 64.3.
BYU has been a strong team against the spread this season, going 12-5-1 overall. Their home ATS record is 10-2 and they are 8-2 in their last 10 games as the underdog.
BYU’s over/under record this season is 7-11 and today’s line of 135.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (150.9). So far, 15 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 147 points.
Houston Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Houston offense ended with 57 points against UCF. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 34.5% and made 6 threes. In terms of offense, the Cougars have a season-long field goal percentage of 44%, putting them 258th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 130th in percentage and 172nd in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 15.2 | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 12.5 | 3.4 | 0.8 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 11.1 | 3.9 | 6.1 |
BYU Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 85.3 points per game, BYU struggled in their previous game. Against Texas Tech, the Cougars scored 78 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 44.3%. Offensively, the Cougars have a season long field goal percentage of 47%, which is 80th in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 74th in percentage and 2nd in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxson Robinson (G) | 13.9 | 2.4 | 1.5 |
| Trevin Knell (G) | 12.7 | 4.0 | 1.6 |
| Spencer Johnson (G) | 11.4 | 5.7 | 3.8 |
Houston Team Defense
So far this season, the Houston defense has been performing well, ranking 1st in the country at 51.0 points allowed per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 5.6 threes per game vs. BYU. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 27.4%.
BYU Team Defense
This season, the BYU defense has been impressive, holding the 34th position in the country while permitting an average of 64.8 points per contest. So far, the BYU defense is giving up an average of 6.2 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 10.6 times per game (449th).
Cougars vs Cougars Trends
- Across their ten previous road games, Houston has an ATS mark of 2-7. Their straight up record in these matchups was 8-2 while averaging 70 points per game.
- In their last three games at home, the Cougars have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 0-2-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 71 points per game in this stretch.
- In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Cougars have a straight up record of 0-3 and an ATS mark of 0-2-1.
- 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 2-1.
Cougars vs Cougars Prediction
We’re calling a win for the Cougars, with a final score of 72-73, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Cougars at -2.5.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 135.5 and our model has the Cougars and Cougars finishing with a combined 145 points. Our pick is to take 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:January 23, 2024 BYU Cougars, Houston Cougars, Teams