Houston vs. Iowa State Prediction: Can the Cougars Notch Another Road Win in Ames Tonight?
The Houston Cougars are set to square off with the Iowa State Cyclones as Big 12 conference play heats up. Can L.J. Cryer and the Cougars find offense on the road against a staunch Iowa State defense in Ames? Ben Rajavuori analyzes the matchup and makes his pick in Houston vs. Iowa State.
Ben Rajavuori - January 9, 2024, 5:05 PM EST
5 minHouston vs. Iowa State Prediction: Can the Cougars Notch Another Road Win in Ames Tonight?
The Houston Cougars travel to Ames, Iowa tonight to take on the Iowa State cyclones. The Cougars are currently on a 14-game win streak to start the season sitting at 14–0. They are on pace for another great season like last year, when they finished the season 29-2. The Cyclones, meanwhile, are coming into this game off a loss on the road against Oklahoma. They sit at 11–3 on the season, but their defense under T.J. Otzelberger looks good once again, so the future is bright in Ames. The spread is a bit surprising in this game, as Houston is not that big of a favorite. They are only laying 2.5 points on the road tonight. Can they cover this short spread as road favorites?
Houston vs. Iowa State Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: January 9, 2024
- Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN
Houston vs. Iowa State Odds
- Spread: Houston -3 (-110), Iowa State +3 (-110)
- Total Odds: O/U 131 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Houston (-140), Iowa State (+120)
Houston vs. Iowa State Prediction
Once again, Kelvin Sampson is coaching one of the best defenses in the country. You can always bet on watching good defense when watching a Houston game under Sampson, as the Cougars are number one in points allowed per game in the nation, allowing just 49.8 points per game. They are also first in field goal percentage allowed. The one knock on Houston in recent years has been an inconsistent offense. While their offense is still good, it seems to be the thing that loses them games when they do rarely lose. To fix that, Kelvin Sampson brought L.J. Cryer in the off-season from Baylor, a stand-out guard who can score with the best of them. L.J. Cryer has immediately taken over the leading scorer role for the Cougars, scoring 17.1 points per game. He also leads the team in three-point percentage, shooting 40.7% from behind the perimeter. Cryer is a perfect addition to this Houston team that needed a spark of offense, and they will be a scary team to face deep in March. Iowa State, like Houston, is sporting one of the best defenses in the country themselves. T.J. Otzelberger has done an excellent job in Ames forming this defense, as they have now been a top-10 unit in defense efficiency in the nation for all three seasons he has been in Ames. However, the Cyclones have failed to find offense to back their great defense. This has been their downfall in their three losses this season, and it was the reason they were knocked out in the first round of the tournament last year against Pittsburgh when they only scored 41 points in the first round of March Madness. The Cyclones had a lot of offensive production to replace from last year, as they lost Jaren Holmes and Gabe Kalscheur, the two leading scores for the team.
Both these teams consistently play great defense, so I expect this to be a game that will be ground out possession to possession, going late into the shot clock. However, at the end of the day, Houston has the better offense with L.J. Cryer, Emmanuel Sharp, and Jamal Shead. Cryer was a perfect addition to the Cougar team with his scoring ability, and it will be shown tonight in Ames. While the line may seem scary, I think Houston matches up well with Iowa State in this game and will walk out of Ames with a win tonight.
Houston vs. Iowa State Prediction
Pick: Houston -2.5 (-110) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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