The Iowa State Cyclones (20-5) travel to face off against the Houston Cougars (22-3) on Monday, February 19th. This game will be played at Fertitta Center in Houston and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.
Iowa State Cyclones vs Houston Cougars
The Iowa State Cyclones Are Coming Off A Win
Entering today’s game, Iowa State is 20-5 overall and 9-3 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones have won four straight games and are coming off an 82-74 win over Texas Tech. On the road, they are 5-4 this season, and their average scoring margin is +0.4. Coming into today, they have won two straight games on the road.
For the season, Iowa State has been the underdog in seven games, going 4-3 in those matchups. They are 16-2 as the favorite. This season, the Cyclones have gone 15-1 at home, where their average scoring margin is +25.1. They have an 11-game winning streak at home.
As the underdog, Iowa State has been very successful against the spread this season, going 5-2. Their overall ATS record is 17-7-1. On the road, the Cyclones have an ATS mark of 5-4 this year and they are 3-0 vs. the spread in their last three road games. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, Iowa State is 7-3 vs. the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record for Iowa State games is 14-11. Today’s over/under line of 128.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (138.3). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 137 points and their OU record during this stretch is 1-2. Currently, 21 of their games have finished with more points than today’s over/under line.
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
After winning their last game against Texas, Houston is now 22-3 overall and 9-3 in Big 12 play. The Cougars have won three straight games and have a perfect 15-0 record at home this season. Over their last 10 games at home, Houston is 10-0.
On the year, the Cougars have been favored in 23 of their 25 games, going 21-2 in those matchups. For the season, Houston has an average scoring margin of +29.3 points per game at home, compared to +2.0 on the road.
As the favorite this season, Houston has gone 12-10-1 vs. the spread. At home, their ATS mark is 10-5. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cougars are 4-5-1.
So far this season, the over/under record in Houston games is 10-14, and today’s line of 128.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games (133). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 138 points compared to their season average of 129.5 points per game.
Iowa State Offense Breakdown
Iowa State’s offense is coming off a strong performance, scoring 82 points against Texas Tech. They had an overall field goal percentage of 47.1% and made 10/15 free throws. Leading Iowa State in scoring vs. Texas Tech was Keshon Gilbert with his 24 points. Curtis Jones also added 12 points for the Cyclones.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keshon Gilbert (G) | 14.2 | 4.8 | 4.1 |
| Tamin Lipsey (G) | 13.2 | 4.9 | 5.5 |
| Milan Momcilovic (F) | 12.0 | 3.2 | 1.2 |
Houston Offense Breakdown
Houston is fresh off a strong offensive showing, putting up 82 points versus Texas. This output is higher than their season-average of 73.9 points per game. Offensively, the Cougars have a season long field goal percentage of 43%, which is 289th in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 156th in percentage and 177th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 15.3 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 12.8 | 3.9 | 5.8 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 12.3 | 4.0 | 0.9 |
Iowa State Team Defense
So far, the Cyclones’ defense is ranked 9th in the country at 62.5 points per contest. Against Texas Tech, the Cyclones’ defense gave up 74 points and did a good job not fouling. For the game, Texas Tech only made 10 free-throws.
Houston Team Defense
In the current season, the Houston defense has excelled, sitting 1st in the nation by allowing 55.0 points per game. Houston’s three-point defense is currently 48th in the country at 5.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 37.1% of their shots vs. Houston.
Cyclones vs Cougars Trends
- Through their last ten road games, Iowa State has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 5-5 while averaging 70 points per game.
- When looking at their past ten home matchups, Houston has an ATS record of 2-6-1 while averaging 68 per game. The team went 7-3 overall in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Cyclones have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 7-3.
- Through their previous three contests as the betting favorite, the Cougars have a strong record of 3-0. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 1-1-1.
Cyclones vs Cougars Prediction
For a point-spread wager in this Cougars vs. Cougars game, we suggest taking the Cougars at -9.5. Even though our predictions have the Cougars winning 76-68, we see the Cyclones as the better choice on the point-spread.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 128.5 and given that our model is projecting 144 points between the teams, we like 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 19, 2024 Houston Cougars, Iowa State Cyclones