Utah State vs. Houston Prediction
The unbeaten Houston Cougars haven risen to 21 in the national rankings and have a home tilt tonight versus the Utah State Aggies. Is Houston going to show off its strong defense and help keep the total under its projection?
Game Snapshot
609 Utah State Aggies at 610 Houston Cougars
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Fertitta Center at 8PM ET
TV: ESPN3
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Cougars are a 5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 142 points. As of Thursday afternoon, 71 percent of public bets are coming in on host Houston. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest updates.
Aggies cruise past Alabama State
Utah State jumped out to a 44-28 halftime advantage Saturday night en route to an 86-48 home win over Alabama State. The Aggies (9-2) shot 30-of-55 in the winning effort and 19-of-28 at the free throw line. Sam Merrill paced USU with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting plus five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Neemias Queta contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals. Crew Ainge tallied 11 points, six caroms, two dimes and two steals. Diogo Brito added 10 points, three rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes off the bench.
Cougars hold off Saint Louis
Houston moved to 10-0 on the season Sunday as it rallied past the visiting Billikens by a count of 68-64. The Cougars trailed 35-29 early in the second half before turning it up a notch and overtaking Saint Louis. Corey Davis Jr. led Houston with 17 points on 4-of-11 shooting to go with six rebounds and two assists. Galen Robinson Jr. tallied 13 points, three boards, three assists and two steals. Armoni Brooks accounted for 13 points and eight rebounds. Dejon Jarreau added 10 points and three rebounds in 14 minutes of action as a reserve. The Cougars held the Billikens to 22-of-60 shooting including 6-of-19 from 3-point distance.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Utah State
The Aggies are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games overall. Utah State is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games against an opponent with a winning home record.
Prediction:
I’ve looked at the spread from every angle and I can’t pick a side. It happens. I’m instead going to place a bet on the under as both sides are better on the defensive end of the floor than on offense. The Cougars have only allowed one opponent to score over 70 points this season, while the Aggies have only had a couple games with subpar defense. Houston plays at one of the slowest paces in the country, so while Utah State likes to play fast it is often the home team that dictates tempo. Look for points to be tough to come by as this game stays under the total.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: UTAH STATE AGGIES/HOUSTON COUGARS UNDER 142