Houston Cougars (19-2) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (14-7)
Game Info: Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 2:15 pm (Fertitta Center)
Betting Odds: Houston Cougars -14.5 -- Over/Under: 132.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Cincinnati Bearcats will head down to Texas and face the Houston Cougars from the Fertitta Center on CBS. Cincinnati leads the all-time series, 13-9, but Houston has won five matchups in a row.
Cincinnati dropped to 14-7 after losing to Memphis at home. The Bearcats fell behind early, and failed to rally back in the second half, losing to the Tigers by seven points. Cincinnati is scoring 79.8 points per game, while allowing 67.7 ppg, and shooting 45.1% from the field.
Cincinnati had their three-game winning streak snapped by the Tigers, and they come into an uphill battle here with the Cougs. Landers Nolley II double-doubled in win overs SMU & ECU, and after a 21-point outing against USF, he leads the Bearcats in scoring (15.5). Longtime Cincy guard David DeJulius is scoring at identical 14.9 ppg, while dishing out a team-lead 4.2 apg. Viktor Lakhin went for a season-high 22 points against Memphis, and he’s now averaging 12.6 ppg, and leading the team in boards at 7.5 rpg. Veterans Jeremiah Davenport (9.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Mike Adams-Woods (9.6 ppg, 3.3 apg) round out the starting five for Cincy.
Houston improved to 19-2 after beating UCF in Orlando. The Cougars returned to form, and beat the Knights by 11 points to cover the spread right on the head. Houston is scoring 75.4 points per game, while allowing 54.2 ppg, and shooting 46.7% from the field.
Houston responded to the uncharacteristic, one-point home loss to Temple with the road victory over Central Florida, and they’ll look secure win number 20 here at home. Marcus Sasser followed his 31-point performance against USF with 23 points in the win over Tulane, bringing his team-lead to 16.6 ppg. Defensive stud Tramon Mark (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and veteran guard Jamal Shead (9.0 ppg, 5.2 apg) join him in the backcourt, and the latter posted his second double-double in the win over UCF. J’Wan Roberts double-doubled in the first meeting with Cincy, and he leads the Cougs in rebounding (7.1), while scoring 9.7 ppg.
Cincinnati is 13-7 against the spread this season, with a 9-11 over/under record. Houston is 14-7 ATS this year, with a 9-12 o/u record.
I like Houston closing the week with a win here, but this is a pretty stiff margin for a veteran Cincinnati team. Yes, the Cougars can turn things up at any time and really bottle an opponent up, but as we saw with the Temple matchup, if their grit is matched, they can go cold themselves. After losing five straight times by double figures, there has to be a chip on the Bearcats shoulder, and in return we may receive a contested game. I won’t test Houston by choosing Cincy’s spread, but I’ll lean on the Cougs defensive prowess at home here, and take the under for this AAC matchup.
Corey’s Pick Under 132.5
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
