The Houston Cougars (18-2) travel to face off against the Texas Longhorns (14-6) on Monday, January 29th. This game will be played at Moody Center in Austin and televised on ESPN. Houston is coming off a win in their previous game, while Texas is looking to get back on track from a loss to the BYU. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.
Houston Cougars vs Texas Longhorns
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
After a 74-52 win over Kansas State, Houston has won four straight games and is 18-2 overall. They have been perfect at home, going 13-0, and they are 17-2 as the favorite this season. The Cougars are 5-2 in Big 12 play and have gone 8-2 on the road over their last 10 games.
On the year, Houston’s average scoring margin on the road is +3.7, and they are 4-2 away from home. They have not been an underdog yet this season, and their average scoring margin at home is +31.0.
As the favorite this season, Houston has gone 11-8 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cougars are 6-4. On the road, their ATS mark is just 2-4 and over their last 10 road games, they are 2-7 vs. the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record for Houston games is 6-13. The average over/under line in their games is 133.3 and their games have averaged 126.5 points. Today’s over/under line of 130.5 is lower than the season average OU line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 122 points.
The Texas Longhorns Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Through 20 games, Texas has been much better at home compared to on the road, going 11-3 at home compared to 3-3 on the road. They have also been the underdog in five games, going 2-3 in those contests.
Coming off an 84-72 loss to BYU, the Longhorns have gone 3-2 in their last five home games and 8-2 in their last ten.
As the underdog this season, Texas has gone 2-3 vs. the spread and as the home team, their ATS mark is just 4-10. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Longhorns have gone 4-6 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 130.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Texas’ games this season (146.2). So far, 17 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1.
Houston Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the Houston offense tallied 74 points in a matchup against Kansas State. Their field goal percentage for the game was 40%, and they made 7 threes. Leading the team in scoring is LJ Cryer, who is averaging 15.2 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Emanuel Sharp also maintains a PPG average of 12.2 heading into game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 15.2 | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 12.2 | 3.9 | 0.9 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 11.7 | 3.7 | 5.8 |
Texas Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Texas offense ended with 72 points against BYU. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 44.3% and made 8 threes. The top scorer for the Longhorns was Dylan Disu with 19 points, while Chendall Weaver also added 15 to the scoreboard.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Abmas (G) | 17.6 | 2.8 | 4.2 |
| Tyrese Hunter (G) | 11.4 | 2.5 | 4.0 |
| Dillon Mitchell (F) | 10.6 | 8.7 | 1.8 |
Houston Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Houston defense is giving up an average of 51.9 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.0 threes per game vs. Texas. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 27.8%.
Texas Team Defense
Currently, the Longhorns’ defense holds the 86th rank in the nation, allowing 67.8 points per game. Texas’ defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the BYU offense to knock down 64% of their shots on their way to putting up 84 points.
Cougars vs Longhorns Trends
- Across the Cougars last five road games, the team averaged 66 points per game while allowing 63. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 3-2 straight-up.
- In their last five games at home, the Longhorns have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 71 points per game in this stretch.
- The Longhorns have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Cougars have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.
Cougars vs Longhorns Prediction
The Longhorns come in as the underdog at +5.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 130.5 and our model has the Cougars and Longhorns finishing with a combined 142 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 29, 2024 Houston Cougars, Texas Longhorns