Notre Dame vs Houston Prediction College Basketball Picks 11/28/24

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are visiting the Houston Cougars on Thursday, November 28th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Houston Cougars Prediction.

Houston Cougars Preview

The Houston Cougars have a 3-2 record this season and are coming off an 80-85 loss to Alabama. The Cougars are 3-2 against the spread, and 3-2 in over/under while having a 3-0 home record. 

Offensively, Houston is averaging 83.4 points per game, which ranks 58th in the nation. Defensively, they allow just 57.6 points per game, which is the 8th-best in the nation. The Cougars shoot 45.9% from the field (154th) and 45.5% from beyond the arc, which is the second-best in the nation. The Cougars shoot 74.3% from the free-throw line (89th) and are grabbing 39.2 rebounds per game (104th).

LJ Cryer leads Houston in scoring this season, with an average of 15 points, while Emanuel Sharp adds 12.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a 4-2 record this season and are coming off an 84-85 loss to Rutgers. The Fighting Irish are 2-3-1 against the spread, and 5-1 in over/under, while they have a 1-0 road record. 

Offensively, Notre Dame is averaging 82.5 points per game, which ranks 71st in the nation. Defensively, they allow 71.2 points per game (190th). The Fighting Irish shoot 50.4% from the field (30th) and  37.8% from beyond the arc (64th). The Fighting Irish shoot 78.9% from the free-throw line (21st) and are grabbing 39.2 rebounds per game (105th).

Markus Button leads Notre Dame in scoring this season, with an average of 18.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and a team-high 4.3 assists, while Braeden Shrewsberry adds 15 points. Notre Dame will take on Georgia and Syracuse after this one.

Why the Houston Cougars will win

• Houston has won each of its last 20 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.
• Notre Dame has lost 19 of its last 20 games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
• Houston has won the first half in 20 of its last 21 games against non-conference opponents.

Why the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will win

• Notre Dame has won each of its last seven Wednesday games against non-conference opponents.
• Houston has lost each of its last three games played at neutral venues.
• Notre Dame has won the first half in each of its last four games against non-conference opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• Houston ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for three-point percentage this season (45.5%).
• Houston ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for opponent field goals made per game this season (18.6).
• Notre Dame ranks 21st among Division 1 teams for free throw percentage this season (78.9%).
• Notre Dame ranks 28th among Division 1 teams for effective field goal percentage this season (57.9%).

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Houston Cougars Prediction

In this Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Houston is coming as a -17 home favorite. Both teams are looking to bounce back after their latest defeats and Houston is playing extremely well this season, winning by an average of 25.8 points per game. The Cougars boast the 8th-best defense in the nation, but they are facing an elite Notre Dame offense, that tanks 71st in scoring, and are on the top-64 in field goal, 3-point, and free-throw percentage. Both teams are elite offensively, scoring 165.9 points per game combined, and are 8-3 to the over combined this season. I expect a high-scoring game, so take the over.  

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Over 133