The Iowa State Cyclones (21-5) travel to face off against the Houston Cougars (23-4) on Saturday, February 22nd. 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 2:00 ET.

Iowa State Cyclones vs Houston Cougars

The Cyclones Are Coming Off A Win

Iowa State Cyclones Recent Game/Games

Iowa State improved to 21-5 on the season with a 79-65 win over Colorado on Tuesday. The Cyclones were -18 favorites going into the game.

After leading 45-28 at halftime, Iowa State allowed 37 points in the second half while scoring 34. The game’s total points of 144 slightly exceeded the over/under line of 143.5.

The Cougars Are Coming Off A Win

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Houston improved to 23-4 on the season with an 80-65 road win over Arizona State on Tuesday. The Cougars entered the game as 12-point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 145, surpassing the over/under line of 133.5.

Houston took control early, leading 47-31 at halftime. While they allowed 34 points in the second half, they managed to score 33 points of their own to maintain their lead and secure the win.

Cyclones Offense Breakdown

Iowa State’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, shooting 51.1% from the field and hitting 47.6% from beyond the arc, finishing with an effective field goal percentage of 61.7%. They connected on 10 threes, with Joshua Jefferson and Nate Heise both going 2-for-2 and 2-for-3, respectively, from deep.

Bangot Dak led the way with 20 points, while Dishon Jackson and Milan Momcilovic added 13 each. The Cyclones also got 12 points from both Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey, with Lipsey hitting 2-of-4 from three. Iowa State dished out 19 assists and grabbed 7 offensive rebounds, while shooting 67.7% from the free-throw line, making 21 of 31 attempts.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Houston’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 80 points with a field goal percentage of 48.1%. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 11 of 23 threes for a 47.8% rate, contributing to an effective field goal percentage of 59.3%.

Alston Mason led the way, shooting 88.9% overall and 80% from three, finishing with 26 points. L.J. Cryer added 18 points and 6 assists, while Emanuel Sharp and BJ Freeman each contributed 17 points, with Sharp hitting 4 threes at a 57.1% rate.

Cyclones Team Defense

Even though Iowa State gave up 65 points, they struggled defensively, allowing their opponent to shoot 51% from the field. The Cyclones gave up 24 made field goals on 47 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Iowa State’s defense allowed 10 three-pointers on 21 attempts, a 47% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the line 31 times, where they hit 21 free throws.

Cougars Team Defense

Even with Iowa State giving up 65 points, their defense struggled, allowing the opponent to shoot 51% from the field. The Cyclones couldn’t contain the two-point shots, with the other team hitting 53% of their attempts.

From beyond the arc, Iowa State’s defense allowed 10 threes on 21 attempts, a 47% shooting performance. They also sent the opponent to the line 31 times, where they converted 21 free throws, shooting 67%.

Cyclones vs Cougars Trends

• Through their last five road contests, the Cyclones offense has averaged 67 points per game while allowing an average of 69. Iowa State posted an overall record of 2-3 while going 2-3 ATS.
• Through their last ten home games, Houston has an ATS record of just 6-4. However, their overall record was 9-1 while averaging 72 points per game.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Cyclones have a straight up record of 5-5. Their record vs the spread in these games was 7-2-1.
• Through their last five games as the favorite, the Cougars have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 5-0.

Cyclones vs Cougars Prediction

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Cougars vs. Cougars game, our recommendation is to take the Cougars at -11.5. Despite our model showing the Cougars winning 77-69, we like Cyclones as our point-spread pick.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 133.5 and given that our model is projecting 146 points between the teams, we like 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.