South Florida Bulls (7-5) vs Houston Cougars (10-1)
Game Info: Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 7:00 pm (Yuengling Center)
Betting Odds: South Florida Bulls +8.5 -- Over/Under: 127 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The 11th ranked Houston Cougars will travel to the Yuengling Center to take on the South Florida Bulls this Thursday night in College Basketball action.
The 11th ranked Houston Cougars won their 3rd straight game and improved to 10-1 on the season after defeating the Tulane Green Wave, 71-50, this past Saturday. Houston was incredible on the defensive end against Tulane and easily pulled away in the 2nd half after a 7-0 Cougars run gave Houston a 50-31 lead with 11:33 left in regulation. Houston shot 44.3% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc while holding Tulane to just 28.8% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc. Houston outrebounded Tulane by a 48-26 margin and forced 10 turnovers in the victory. Leading the way for the Cougars was Marcus Sasser who had 28 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, & 1 steal.
On the season, Houston is averaging 73.1 ppg on 40.9% shooting from the field. The Cougars are averaging 7.8 three-pointers per game on 32.5% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Houston has been led by Quentin Grimes (17.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.2 spg), Marcus Sasser (16.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.2 spg), DeJon Jarreau (9.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.2 spg), & Tramon Mark (8.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 spg).
Defensively, Houston is holding their opponents to an average of 56.4 ppg on 36.5% shooting from the field. The Cougars have a rebound margin of 10.2 and a turnover margin of 3.5.
The South Florida Bulls improved to 7-5 on the season after defeating the East Carolina Pirates, 69-63, this past Saturday. South Florida was outstanding offensively in the 2nd half against East Carolina and pulled away after taking a 43-34 lead with 14:34 left in regulation. South Florida shot 41.8% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc while holding East Carolina to just 38.9% from the field and 20.0% from beyond the arc. South Florida outrebounded East Carolina by a 41-33 margin and forced 11 turnovers in the victory. Leading the way for the Bulls was David Collins who had 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, & 1 steal.
On the season, South Florida is averaging 68.6 ppg on 42.6% shooting from the field. The Bulls are averaging 6.2 three-pointers per game on 34.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, South Florida has been led by David Collins (12.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.6 spg), Alexis Yetna (10.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg), Caleb Murphy (10.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.0 spg), & Michael Durr (7.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg).
Defensively, South Florida is allowing their opponents to average 67.9 ppg on 43.1% shooting from the field. The Bulls have a rebound margin of 6.8 and a turnover margin of -1.4.
The Cougars are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games and just 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS win. The Bulls are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 Thursday games, however, are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
South Florida is a solid team, however, I’m a bit concerned for the Bulls in this one as their offense ranks just 242nd in scoring defense & 241st in defensive FG% and will be going up against Houston’s top-ranked scoring defense. South Florida lost by double-digits at home to Tulsa and as I just don’t see South Florida scoring more than 55 points in this game, I think the Houston offense will be able to do enough and cover this large road spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Houston Cougars -8.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05