Houston vs. St Joseph’s Prediction
No. 3 Houston and unranked St. Joseph’s both travel to Annapolis, MD to face each other at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday night. Can the Cougars cover the 19.5-point spread as neutral site favorites?
Houston went 32-6 last season. This year, they’re 1-0 with their lone win coming against Northern Colorado. The Cougars are 1-0 against the spread this year.
St. Joseph’s went 11-19 last season including 5-13 in conference play. This will be their first game of the year on Friday. The Hawks went 16-13-1 against the spread last year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
645 Houston Cougars (-19.5) vs. 646 St. Joseph’s Hawks (+19.5); O/U 133.5
6:00 p.m. ET, Friday, November 11, 2022
Alumni Hall (Navy), Annapolis, MD
Houston vs. St. Joseph’s Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public is favoring the Hawks in this game. Our public betting data illustrates that 67% of public bettors are on St. Joseph’s +19.5. Do note that those numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Houston Game Notes
Houston’s leading scorer last season was guard Marcus Sasser. Last season, Sasser averaged 17.7 points and 2.2 steals per game while shooting a blistering 43.7% from beyond the arc. He led the Cougars in all three categories mentioned above among qualifiers last season. The 6’2” Dallas native is back for his senior season and began the campaign in style on Monday, posting 21 points and 4 steals in an 83-36 blowout win over Northern Colorado. Sasser broke his foot on Christmas Eve of last year and missed the rest of the season. He may have something to prove this year and could make a statement in this game on Friday.
St. Joseph’s Game Notes
St. Joseph’s lost their top two scorers from last season. Guard Jordan Hall is now with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA and forward Taylor Funk transferred to Utah State. The Hawks do return their third, fourth, and fifth leading scorers, however. St. Joseph’s leading returning scorer is 6’10” senior center Ejike Obinna. Obinna averaged 12.1 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per contest while shooting an efficient 57.4% from the field last year. He led the Hawks in the latter two categories last season.
Sophomore guard Erik Reynolds II is also back for St. Joseph’s. He averaged 12.1 points per game and shot 83.9% from the charity stripe in 2021-22. He had the second-best free throw percentage on the Hawks last year and was tied for third in points per game. Both Obinna and Reynolds should make key contributions in the Hawks’ tough test against the Cougars on Friday.
Houston vs. St. Joseph’s CBB Betting Trends
Houston is 19-7 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games.
Houston is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Houston is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Friday games.
St. Joseph’s is 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.
Houston vs. St. Joseph’s CBB Prediction:
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has built the Cougars into a powerhouse program. Houston made the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last year and reached the Final Four the year before that. The Cougars have a combined record of 60-10 over the past two seasons. Houston was third in the nation with an average scoring margin of +16.3 last season. I think they win big against a downtrodden St. Joseph’s team who may not have the talent to match up with them.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: HOUSTON COUGARS -19.5
