Houston Cougars (16-2) vs. BYU Cougars (14-4)
January 23, 2024 9:00 pm EDT
The Line: BYU Cougars +2.5; Over/Under: +135
(Get latest betting odds)
The Houston Cougars and the BYU Cougars meet in college basketball action from the Marriott Center on Tuesday night. Who comes out on top in this ranked Big 12 conference matchup? Let’s dive in and find out with our Houston vs. BYU Prediction.
Houston Team Preview
The Houston Cougars come into this one looking to build on a 57-42 win over UCF last time out. LJ Cryer leads the Cougars in scoring with 15.3 PPG along with 1.9 APG while Emanuel Sharp has 12.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG and Jamal Shead has 11.1 PPG with a team-high 6.1 APG as well to lead the Cougars in assists and to cap off the trio of double-digit scorers for Houston so far this season. J’Wan Roberts has a team-high 7.1 RPG up to this point in the year. As a team, Houston is averaging 73.9 PPG on 44.1% shooting from the field, 34.9% from three and 67.3% from the foul line this season.
BYU Team Preview
The BYU Cougars come into this one looking to bounce back from an 85-78 loss at the hands of Texas Tech last time out. Jaxson Robinson leads the Cougars in scoring with 13.9 PPG with 2.4 RPG while Trevin Knell has 12.7 PPG with 4 RPG. Noah Waterman has 10.5 PPG with a team-high 6.5 RPG to lead the Cougars on the glass while Spencer Johnson has 11.4 PPG with 5.7 RPG and 4 APG this season. Richie Saunders has 10.3 PPG with 4.3 RPG to cap off the group of double-digit scorers for BYU so far this season. Dallin Hall also has 9.3 PPG with a team-high 4.6 APG to lead the way in assists. As a team, BYU is averaging 85.3 PPG on 47.5% shooting from the field, 36.8% from three and 72.9% from the foul line this season. BYU will face Texas after this one.
Houston vs. BYU Prediction
I’m backing Houston here. I think this is a bit of a discounted number considering that Houston’s lost a pair of games on the road, including a loss at Iowa State, a Cyclones team that BYU beat earlier this season in this same building. However, Houston’s going to be the toughest defense that BYU will be up against, and I think that Houston finds a way to carry their defense on the road and pick up a win and cover here.
