The BYU Cougars (24-8) travel to face off against the Houston Cougars (29-4) on Friday, March 14th. This game will be played at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City and televised on ESPN2. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

BYU Cougars vs Houston Cougars

The Cougars Are Coming Off A Win

BYU Cougars Recent Game/Games

BYU improved to 24-8 on the season with a 96-92 win over Iowa State on Thursday. The Cougars were +2.5 point underdogs heading into the game, but they not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 188, surpassing the O/U line of 146.

BYU turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Iowa State 47-39 after trailing 53-49 at halftime. Their defense tightened up, allowing 14 fewer points after the break.

The Cougars Are Coming Off A Win

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Houston improved to 29-4 on the season with a 77-68 win over Colorado on Thursday. The Cougars were -17.5 point favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread.

Leading 38-33 at halftime, Houston scored 39 points in the 2nd half while allowing 35. The total points for the game (145) went over the O/U line of 127.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

BYU’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 96 points with a 51.7% field goal percentage. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 18 of 36 threes for a 50% rate, contributing to an effective field goal percentage of 67.2%. Curtis Jones led the way with 31 points, knocking down 7 of 15 from deep.

The Cougars also excelled at the free-throw line, converting 18 of 21 attempts (85.7%), and dished out 24 assists as a team. Trevin Knell was perfect from the field, hitting all 4 of his three-point attempts, while Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson both shot 66.7% overall, adding 14 points each.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Houston’s offense put up 77 points in their last game, shooting 49% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 57.1%. They connected on 44.4% of their three-point attempts, hitting 8 of 18 from deep, while also making 21 of 31 free throws for a 67.7% success rate.

Andrej Jakimovski led the way with 25 points, hitting 4 threes at a 44.4% clip. Emanuel Sharp added 19 points, making 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, while Milos Uzan contributed 14 points, connecting on 2 of 3 three-point attempts. L.J. Cryer also chipped in 14 points despite shooting just 36.4% overall.

Cougars Team Defense

BYU’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 92 points on 51% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 54% of their two-point attempts, going 12/22 inside the arc.

From three-point range, BYU’s opponent shot 50%, connecting on 18 of 36 attempts. They also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 18 for 85%. BYU gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cougars Team Defense

BYU’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 92 points on 51% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 54% of their two-point attempts, going 12/22 inside the arc.

From three-point range, BYU’s opponent shot 50%, making 18 of 36 attempts. They also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 18 free throws for 85%. BYU gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cougars vs Cougars Trends

• BYU has played well in their previous three road games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 91 points per game while allowing 87. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
• In their last five home games, Houston has averaged 69 points per game while allowing 60. The team’s record in this stretch was 5-0 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Cougars have a strong straight up record of 3-0. In addition, their ATS record was 3-0 in these scenarios.
• Although the Cougars have a strong straight up record in their last three games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 0-3.

Cougars vs Cougars Prediction

The Cougars is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 81-66. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Cougars at -7.5.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 135.5, and our model predicts the Cougars and Cougars to score a combined 147 points. We recommend betting on 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.