The Houston Cougars (14-0) travel to face off against the Iowa State Cyclones (11-3) on Tuesday, January 9th. This game will be played at Hilton Coliseum in Ames and televised on ESPN2. Houston is coming off a win in their previous game, while Iowa State is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Oklahoma. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.
Houston Cougars vs Iowa State Cyclones
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their Big 12 matchup with Iowa State, Houston is a perfect 14-0 on the season and has won 13 straight games. They are also 3-0 on the road, where they have won their games by an average of 6.7 points per game.
Overall, Houston has been the favorite in all 13 of their games, and they are 13-0 in those contests. In their most recent game, the Cougars defeated West Virginia by a score of 89-55.
As the favorite this season, Houston has gone 8-5 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cougars have an ATS mark of 7-3. On the road, Houston is just 1-2 vs. the spread this year and over their last 10 road games, they are 3-6 ATS.
So far this season, the over/under record for Houston games is 4-9. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 124 points, which is 7.5 points lower than today’s over/under line of 131.5. On the year, the average scoring total in their games is 127.6 points, which is 6.7 points lower than the average over/under line of 134.3 points.
The Iowa State Cyclones Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After falling to Oklahoma 71-63, Iowa State will look to bounce back at home against Houston. The Cyclones are 9-1 at home this season and have won five straight games at home. So far, they are 11-3 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play.
Through 14 games, Iowa State has been the favorite 13 times, going 11-2 in those games. As the underdog, they are 0-1. For the season, their average scoring margin at home is +33.9, compared to +1.5 on the road.
As the underdog this season, Iowa State is 0-1 vs. the spread. At home, the Cyclones are 7-2-1 ATS this season and 1-1-1 in their last 3 home games.
So far this season, the over/under record for Iowa State is 9-5, and the average over/under line in their games is 137.9. Today’s over/under line of 131.5 is lower than the average scoring total in their games this year of 144.5. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 139 points.
Houston Offense Breakdown
Coming off a good offensive performance, Houston’s offense scored 89 points against West Virginia. Their field goal percentage for the game was 53.1%, and they went 12/14 from the free-throw line. On the offensive front, the Cougars have a season-long field goal percentage of 44%, ranking 221st nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 99th in terms of percentage and 132nd in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 17.1 | 2.6 | 2.0 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 13.4 | 3.8 | 1.0 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 9.7 | 4.0 | 6.2 |
Iowa State Offense Breakdown
Against Oklahoma, the Iowa State had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 84.6 points per game. They scored 63 points and posted a field goal percentage of 42.6% in the game. Currently leading the team in scoring is Tamin Lipsey who comes into today’s matchup averaging 14.7. Keshon Gilbert also heads into the game with a PPG average of 13.8.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamin Lipsey (G) | 14.7 | 5.9 | 6.0 |
| Keshon Gilbert (G) | 13.8 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| Milan Momcilovic (F) | 13.5 | 3.4 | 1.0 |
Houston Team Defense
Currently, the Cougars’ defense holds the 1st rank in the nation, allowing 49.8 points per game. In their most recent game, the Houston defense struggled to defend the three-point line, as West Virginia knocked down 9 three-pointers on their way to 55 points.
Iowa State Team Defense
Iowa State’s defense has been playing well, ranking 7th nationally, with 59.9 points allowed per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Iowa State’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 38.5% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 33.7% this season.
Cougars vs Cyclones Trends
- In their last three games away from home, the Cougars have a straight up record of 3-0 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 70 points per game in this stretch.
- Although Iowa State has a straight up record of 2-3 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-4. The team averaged 70 points per game in these games.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Cyclones have gone 3-6-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.
- The last ten games that Houston was favored, they have an ATS mark of 7-3 while going 10-0 straight up.
Cougars vs Cyclones Prediction
Coming in as the underdogs at +3.5, we have the Cyclones as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 131.5, and our model projects the Cougars and Cyclones to reach a combined total of 142 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 9, 2024 Houston Cougars, Iowa State Cyclones, Teams