Kent State vs. Houston Prediction & Odds
Unranked Kent State travels to Houston, TX to face the #2 Cougars at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Can the Golden Flashes cover the 19.5-point spread as road underdogs?
Kent State is 5-1 with their best wins coming against Portland and Chicago State. Their only loss came against Charleston on Wednesday. The Golden Flashes are 4-1 against the spread this year.
Houston is 5-0 this season with their best wins coming over St. Joseph’s and Oregon. They’ll look to remain undefeated on Saturday. The Cougars are 5-0 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
617 Kent State Golden Flashes (+19.5) vs. 618 Houston Cougars (-19.5); O/U 135
2:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, November 26, 2022
Fertitta Center, Houston, TX
Kent State vs. Houston Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Cougars in this game. Our public betting data illustrates that 65% of public bettors are on Houston -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.
Kent State Game Notes
Kent State’s leading scorer is senior guard Sincere Carry. Carry led all scorers with 25 points in Kent State’s 74-72 loss to Charleston on Wednesday. For the season, Carry is averaging 19.8 points per game and 5.8 assists per game. Both of those numbers lead the team. Carry also leads Kent State in minutes played per game, field goal attempts, and free throw attempts. He’s shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc this season on 5.7 attempts per game. He’ll likely need to hit multiple treys for the Golden Flashes to cover this contest.
Houston Game Notes
Houston guard Marcus Sasser is the Cougars leading scorer and gets most of the headlines. But freshman forward Jarace Walker is a big reason that Houston has begun the season 5-0. Walker is 6’8” 240 pounds and was the #9 recruit in ESPN’s top 100 before the season. He is second on the Cougars in scoring with 12.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 7 per game. Walker has shot exceptionally well in the early part of the season, making 50% of his shots from the field and a sizzling 41.7% of his 3-pointers on 2.4 attempts per game. Jarace Walker will likely have to score 15 points or more on good efficiency for the Cougars to cover the large spread in this game.
Kent State vs. Houston CBB Betting Trends
Kent State is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS win.
Kent State is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning straight-up record.
Kent State is 17-6 ATS in their last 23 Saturday games.
Kent State is 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall.
Kent State vs. Houston CBB Prediction:
Houston might be 5-0 straight up and against the spread. The Cougars may also lead the nation in average scoring margin at +31.2 points per game. But they’re facing a team in Kent State that’s no pushover. Kent State went 23-11 last year and they’re 5-1 so far this year. The Golden Flashes rank 27th in the country with an average scoring margin of +17.4 points per game. When a team like Houston keeps winning against the spread, oddsmakers will tend to inflate their lines so that bettors aren’t able to win repeatedly by betting on the same team multiple games in a row. I feel like that’s what’s happened to Houston and the line for this game. I think the spread is too high, which is why I like Kent State and the points.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES +19.5
