Last Updated on January 2, 2019 4:49 pm by dpatrick
Golden Hurricane vs. Cougars Prediction
No one has solved the 19th-ranked Houston Cougars as they get set for their American Athletic Conference opener at home today versus the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Can Houston move to 14-0 on the season with another win?
Game Snapshot
805 Tulsa Golden Hurricane at 806 Houston Cougars
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Fertitta Center at 8PM ET
TV: ESPN3
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our College Basketball Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Cougars are a 10.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 133 points. As of Wednesday morning, 76 percent of public bets are siding with visiting Tulsa. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Golden Hurricane takes down Golden Eagles
Tulsa secured a 69-59 victory Saturday night at Oral Roberts to improve to 10-3 on the season. Martins Igbanu helped pace the Golden Hurricane with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting plus 4-of-7 at the free throw line. He also pulled down seven rebounds. DaQuan Jeffries also scored 16 points to go with five rebounds. Tulsa outscored the Golden Eagles 43-28 in the second half to rally for the win. Tulsa shot 21-of-49 from the floor, 6-of-20 from 3-point range and 21-of-30 from the free throw line in the winning effort.
Cougars cruise past NJIT
Houston raced to an 80-59 home victory Saturday over NJIT for its 13th win in a row this season. The Cougars pulled away in the second half as they outscored the Highlanders 53-36 over the final 20 minutes. Corey Davis Jr. paced Houston with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting including 5-of-11 from 3-point distance. Dejon Jarreau tallied 13 points plus five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots off the bench. Brison Gresham contributed 11 points, seven boards and two blocks. Armoni Brooks added 10 points and five caroms. The Cougars shot an even 34-of-68 from the floor, 7-of-24 on 3-point attempts and 5-of-7 on free throws.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Tulsa
The Golden Hurricane are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games. Tulsa is 4-1 ATS in its last five Wednesday games.
Houston
The Cougars are 5-1 ATS in their last six games versus AAC opponents. Houston is 5-2 ATS in its last seven home games.
Prediction:
A lot of bettors seem to be jumping on the Golden Hurricane side of this, but I’m firmly on Houston. Let’s not forget the Cougars have a nasty defense and Tulsa can struggle offensively, especially on the road. Look for Houston to lean on that defense and pull away for a double-digit victory.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON COUGARS -10.5