East Carolina Pirates vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/22/2022

Game Time: 6:00 pm ET, Saturday, January 22, 2022

Venue:  Fertitta Center, Houston, TX

Where to Watch:  ESPN2

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  ECU +19.5, Houston -19.5; Over/Under:  142 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  ECU +19.5, Houston -19.5; Over/Under:  142 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  ECU +19.5, Houston -19.5; Over/Under:  142 points

 

East Carolina Pirates:  11-6 (8th place, AAC)

Houston Cougars:  16-2 (1st place, AAC)

 

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East Carolina Pirates:  2-3 last 5

Houston Cougars:  5-0 last 5

 

 

 

ECU is coming into this game with a 11-6 record overall and they are 0-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 6th conference matchup of the year and they are currently 2-3 in their conference games this season. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games and are coming into this one off of a loss in their last game. Their last win was against the Memphis Tigers while their 3 losses in that span came against the Temple Owls, the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the UCF Knights in their last game. Tristen Newton led the team in points in that game with 27 while Alanzo Frink was next on the team with 16 points. Tremont Robinson-White and Brandon Suggs both led the team in assists in that game with 5 each while Brandon Johnson led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 53.3% from the field, 39.1% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 71.8 PPG against them. ECU has an ATS record of 10-7 this season and their O/U record is 12-5.

 

 

Houston is coming into this game with a 16-2 record overall and they are 10-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 6th conference matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 5-0 in their conference games this season. Their last loss was against the Alabama Crimson Tide but they have gone on an 8 game winning streak since then with wins coming against the ULL Ragin' Cajuns, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Texas State Bobcats, the Temple Owls, the South Florida Bulls, the Wichita State Shockers, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, and USF again in their last game. Kyler Edwards led the team in points in that game with 23 while Fabian White Jr. was next on the team with 16 points. Jamal Shead led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Edwards led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 45% from the field, 36% from 3-point range, and 61.1% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 77.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 57.8 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 11-7 this season and their O/U record is 9-9.

 

ECU is coming into this game as a 19.5 point underdog with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. ECU has not been winning many games recently but they have played tough in every single game and have hung around. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games but all of them were within single digits and they have not really lost many games by double digits this season. Houston has not been playing well recently, they have been winning games but not by that much. They are coming off of a big win in their last game but they have beat up on USF twice now and have struggled with other teams in their conference. ECU is not going to get blown out here and will continue to play tough in their conference games. The best bet to place in this game is on ECU to cover the spread here.

 

East Carolina Houston Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, January 22, 2022 (6:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 85 ECU 75.

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East Carolina Pirates: 12-5 O/U in all games. 24-18 O/U as an underdog. 11-5 O/U as a road underdog or pick. 6-0 O/U after a game where they made 78% of their free throws or better. 9-2 O/U after one or more consecutive overs. 10-3 O/U off a home loss.

Houston Cougars: 25-18 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points. 46-33 ATS in all games. 23-15 ATS as a home favorite or pick. 24-15 ATS in all home games. 25-18 ATS against conference opponents. 32-16 ATS when playing only their 2nd game in a week.

 

 

East Carolina Pirates:  B. Suggs (F) Out indefinitely - Ankle injury. M. Lestin (F) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed injury. J. Miles (G) Ques Sat - Leg injury. W. Tabbs (G) out for season - Knee injury.

Houston Cougars:  M. Sasser (G) out for season - Toe injury. T. Mark (G) out for season - Shoulder injury. K. Powell (C) out for season - Redshirt.

 

 

“He won’t be able to play for a little bit, we’re not sure how long. Thankfully he didn’t break anything, but he’s definitely out. Hopefully (he’s back) sometime this season.” - Joe Dooley on the status of Brandon Suggs for this game.

 

 

''I feel like I'm in a good rhythm, but I also give credit to my teammates because they are always looking for me. They know where I'm at at all times, so I just give credit to them and how they look for me.'' - Kyler Edwards after their win against USF.

 

 

 

L. Debaut 

V. Jackson 

J. Miles 

T. Newton 

B. Suggs

 

R. Chaney 

Kyler Edwards 

M. Sasser 

J. Shead 

F. White

 

 

PPG: T. Newton (17.9)

APG: T. Newton (5.1)

Reb/G: B. Johnson (6.9)

 

PPG: M. Sasser (17.7)

APG: J. Shead (5.3)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (5.9)

 

Coaches:

East Carolina Pirates: Joe Dooley (4th season)

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (8th season)