Shockers vs. Cougars Prediction
The Wichita State Shockers will try to pull off the upset on the road this afternoon in American Athletic Conference action at the 25th-ranked Houston Cougars. Is Wichita State the right side to bet on as the underdogs?
Game Snapshot
855 Wichita State Shockers at 856 Houston Cougars
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Fertitta Center at 3PM ET
TV: ESPN
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our NCAA Basketball Odds & Betting Page
According to oddsmakers, the Cougars are a 5-point favorite on the spread line. The total sits at 134 points. As of Sunday morning, 54 percent of public bets are coming in on host Houston. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest updates.
Shockers drop second straight
Wichita State allowed a 3-point play with 3.5 seconds remaining Thursday night at home versus Cincinnati to fall 80-79. The Shockers (17-5, 5-4 AAC) outscored the Bearcats 44-39 in the second half but still fell short. Jaime Echenique paced WSU with 19 points on 9-of-19 shooting plus 1-of-2 at the free throw line. He also registered 11 rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists. Dexter Dennis accounted for 16 points and four boards. Jamarius Burton added 13 points, five caroms and four assists.
Cougars ease past Green Wave
Houston posted a 75-62 home win Thursday nght over Tulane to improve to 18-5 overall and 8-2 in conference action. The Cougars jumped out to a 39-21 halftime advantage en route to the triumph. Caleb Mills paced Houston with 18 points off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He also tallied two assists and two steals. Quentin Grimes notched 15 points, five assists and four rebounds. Nate Hinton added 12 points, 12 caroms and seven assists.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Wichita State
The Shockers are 21-8-1 ATS in their last 30 games as an underdog. Wichita State is 33-16-2 ATS in its last 51 Sunday games.
Houston
The Cougars are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 Sunday games. The favorite is 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings.
Prediction:
The Cougars already bested the Shockers 65-54 on the road last month and only narrow losses at Tulsa and Cincinnati have kept them from being unbeaten in conference play. I am projecting Houston to have Wichita State’s number again this afternoon. While the Shockers can lock down defensively, they can have offensive issues and on the road against a ranked team I can definitely see those struggles coming into play in crucial moments. Look for Houston to pull away in the second half to cover this spread.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON COUGARS -5