Iowa State Cyclones vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/16/2024

Game Time: 6:00 pm ET, Saturday, March 16, 2024

Venue:  T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  ISU +5, Houston -5; Over/Under:  122 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  ISU +5, Houston -5; Over/Under:  122 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  ISU +5, Houston -5; Over/Under:  122 points

Iowa State Cyclones:  26-7 (13-5) (2nd place, Big 12)

Houston Cougars:  30-3 (15-3) (1st place, Big 12)

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Iowa State Cyclones:  4-1  last 5

Houston Cougars:  5-0  last 5

Iowa State is entering this game with a 26-7 record overall, a 13-5 record in conference games, and they are 3-2 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Baylor Bears in their last game. Keshon Gilbert led the team in points per game in that game with 20 while Curtis Jones was next on the team with 13. Keshon Gilbert led the team in assists with 7 in that game while Keshon Gilbert led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 45% from the field, 50% from 3-point range, and 92.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 75.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 61.9 PPG against them. Iowa State has an ATS record of 21-10-1 this season and their O/U record is 15-17.

Houston is entering this game with a 30-3 record overall, a 15-3 conference record, and they are 6-0 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in their last game. LJ Cryer led the team in points in that game with 20 while Emanuel Sharp was next on the team with 17. Jamal Shead led the team in assists with 10 in that game while Ja'Vier Francis led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 49.2% from the field, 42.9% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 73.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 56.5 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 16-15-2 this season and their O/U record is 14-19.

The current betting odds have Houston listed as a 5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Houston has looked great in their games this season with their 30-3 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country and also ranked as the best in the nation right now. They have looked great in the Big 12 all year with their 15-3 conference record which leads the way and they have also looked great in their neutral site games with their 6-0 record in those. Meanwhile, Iowa State has looked really good in their games this season with their 26-7 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country. They have also looked great in the Big 12 this year with their 13-5 conference record which has them right near the top of the conference, but they have also struggled more in their neutral site games as they are only 3-2 in those. Iowa State is also 4-1 in their last 5 games as they lost their last game of the regular season while Houston has been the hotter team with their 5-0 record in their last 5 games and they have all the momentum on their side right now. Houston has been set on being the best team in the Big 12 since joining this season and they have done nothing but prove that they are, they aren't going to hold back in this game with a chance to win the Big 12 Tournament here. The best way to place a bet here is on Houston to cover the spread in this game. 

Iowa State Houston Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, March 16, 2024 (6:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 72 Iowa State 62.

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Iowa State Cyclones: 22-10 ATS in all games. 27-17 ATS as an underdog. 13-6 ATS against conference opponents. 27-18 UNDER as an underdog. 12-6 UNDER in all neutral court games. 13-7 UNDER against conference opponents.

Houston Cougars: 6-11 ATS as a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. 4-10 ATS off a blowout win by 20 points or more over a conference rival. 1-6 ATS after scoring 80 points or more. 6-1 UNDER in a neutral court game where the total is 129.5 or less. 27-19 UNDER after one or more consecutive overs. 6-0 UNDER after 3 straight covers as a favorite of 7 or more.

Iowa State Cyclones:  D. Watson (G) Ques Fri - Concussion. K. Fish (F) out for season - Shoulder. J. Hamilton (G) out for season - Redshirt. J. Rock (C) out for season - Redshirt.

Houston Cougars:  J. Roberts (F) day-to-day - Knee. J. Tugler (F) out for season - Foot. R. Walker Jr. (G) out for season - Knee. T. Arceneaux (G) out for season - Achilles.

“We know how great they are defensively, and like we try to do, turn their defense into offense. We just have to keep our focus on the next play in front of us. You play great teams, you're going to have adversity. And we practice facing adversity so we can meet it head-on.” - T.J. Otzelberger after his team’s win against Baylor in their last game on Friday.

“We all have our share of injuries. I don't know that we ever talk about it or worry about it, win or lose.” - Kelvin Sampson after his team’s win against Texas Tech in their last game on Friday.

K. Gilbert 

R. Jones 

T. King 

T. Lipsey 

M. Momcilovic

L. Cryer 

J. Francis 

J. Roberts 

E. Sharp 

J. Shead

PPG: K. Gilbert (13.5)

APG: T. Lipsey (4.8)

Reb/G: T. King (5.1)

PPG: L. Cryer (15.7)

APG: J. Shead (6.2)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (7)

Coaches:

Iowa State Cyclones: T.J. Otzelberger (3rd season)

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (10th season)