Houston Cougars vs Baylor Bears Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/24/2024

Game Time: 12:00 pm ET, Saturday, February 24, 2024

Venue:  Foster Pavilion, Waco, TX 

Where to Watch:  CBS

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Houston -2.5, Baylor +2.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Houston -2.5, Baylor +2.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Houston -2.5, Baylor +2.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Houston Cougars:  23-3 (10-3) (1st place, Big 12)

Baylor Bears:  19-7 (8-5) (4th place, Big 12)

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Houston Cougars:  4-1  last 5

Baylor Bears:  3-2  last 5

Houston is entering this game with a 23-3 record overall, a 10-3 record in conference games, and they are 4-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Iowa State Cyclones in their last game. Jamal Shead led the team in points per game in that game with 26 while Emanuel Sharp was next on the team with 20. Jamal Shead led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Ja'Vier Francis led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 42% from the field, 29.2% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 73.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 55.3 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 12-12-2 this season and their O/U record is 11-15.

Baylor is entering this game with a 19-7 record overall, an 8-5 conference record, and they are 13-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the BYU Cougars in their last game. Jalen Bridges led the team in points in that game with 15 while Yves Missi and Ja'Kobe Walter each were next on the team with 13. RayJ Dennis led the team in assists with 8 in that game while Jalen Bridges led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 49% from the field, 25% from 3-point range, and 76.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 82.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 71 PPG against them. Baylor has an ATS record of 15-8-2 this season and their O/U record is 13-12.

The current betting odds have Baylor listed as a 2.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Baylor has looked really good in their games this season with their 19-7 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country. They have looked good in the Big 12 with their 8-5 conference record which has them near the top and they have looked a lot better on their home court with their 13-1 home record. Meanwhile, Houston has also looked really good in their games this season with their 23-3 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country and also ranked as one of the best in the nation. They have looked great in the Big 12 this season with their 10-3 conference record which leads the conference and they have also been a good road team with their 4-3 road record. Despite having a winning record on the road this year, road games are where Houston has been more vulnerable this season with all 3 of their losses coming in road games and against conference opponents too. Baylor hasn't been as good as Houston in the Big 12 this season but they have still been a really good team and they have the talent to cause some serious problems for Houston in this home game. The best way to place a bet here is on Baylor to cover the spread in this game. 

Houston Baylor Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 24, 2024 (12:00 pm ET start time) is Baylor 76 Houston 73.

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Houston Cougars: 3-8 ATS off a home win. 3-8 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite. 25-18 UNDER after one or more consecutive overs. 13-4 UNDER off 2 or more consecutive home wins. 34-17 UNDER after 2 straight games where they had 10 or more steals.

Baylor Bears: 16-8 ATS in all games. 9-4 ATS after 3 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers. 6-3 ATS after allowing 75 points or more 2 straight games. 8-4 UNDER after playing a game as an underdog. 6-3 UNDER after 5 straight games forcing the opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers.

Houston Cougars:  Terrance Arceneaux (F) Achilles - Out For Season.

Baylor Bears:  Langston Love (G) Knee - Out. Yanis Ndjonga (F) Knee - Out For Season.

“I’m impressed with our kids’ tenacity and toughness. We never let them get it below (five or six points). We’d always make a play.” - Kelvin Sampson after his team’s win against ISU in their last game on Monday.

"Even when we were playing well, (the crowd) kept their team going. That's what you face on the road." - Scott Drew after his team’s loss against BYU in their last game on Tuesday.

L. Cryer 

J. Francis 

J. Roberts 

E. Sharp 

J. Shead

J. Bridges 

R. Dennis 

Y. Missi 

J. Nunn 

J. Walter

PPG: L. Cryer (15)

APG: J. Shead (5.8)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (7)

PPG: J. Walter (14.4)

APG: R. Dennis (6.6)

Reb/G: Y. Missi (5.7)

Coaches:

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (10th season)

Baylor Bears: Scott Drew (21st season)