CBB Clash: Baylor vs. Houston Predictions & Expert Analysis

Baylor Bears (14-8 SU, 9-12-1 ATS) vs. Houston Cougars (20-4 SU, 12-11-1 ATS)

When: Monday, February 10th, 9:00 PM (ET)

Where: Fertitta Center, TX, Houston

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: BAYL +8.5/HOU -8.5

Total: 132.5

Money Line: Baylor Bears +355/-472

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Notable Injuries

Bears

• Yanis Ndjonga (Questionable) Knee
• Cameron Carr (Out) Personal

Cougars

• L.J. Cryer (Questionable) Hand
• Ramon Walker Jr. (Out) Hand
• Emanuel Sharp (Out) Ankle
• Jacob McFarland (Out) Leg

Recent Form

Baylor Bears Recent Game/Games

Baylor improved to 14-8 on the season with a 91-76 home win over UCF on Saturday, February 8th. The Bears, who were favored by 10.5 points, covered the spread with the victory.

Baylor led 45-36 at halftime and scored 46 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. The game’s total points of 167 went over the 157.5-point line.

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Houston improved to 20-4 on the season with a 69-59 road win over Colorado on Saturday. The Cougars were -14.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 128 narrowly stayed under the 128.5 O/U line.

Leading 31-27 at halftime, Houston scored 38 points in the 2nd half while allowing 32 to secure the win.

Analysis

Baylor’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their latest game, putting up 91 points with a 53.3% field goal percentage. They were particularly effective inside, hitting 68.6% of their two-point attempts, and their effective field goal percentage stood at 60%.

From beyond the arc, Baylor connected on 8 of 25 attempts, shooting 32%, while also excelling at the free-throw line, going 19 for 22 (86.4%). They dished out 20 assists, with Keyshawn Hall leading the way with 19 points and eight rebounds and Moustapha Thiam adding 18 points, including 3 of 4 shooting from three-point range.

Despite Baylor’s defensive struggles, they still managed to put up 76 points. The Bears shot 53% from the field, converting 32 of their 60 attempts. Inside the arc, they were particularly effective, hitting 68% of their two-point shots, going 24/35.

From three-point range, Baylor went 8/25, shooting 32%. They also got to the free-throw line 22 times, making 19 of those attempts for an 86% success rate. On the boards, they gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

In their last game, the Cougars put up 69 points, shooting 48.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.6%. They hit 40% of their threes, going 6-for-15, and connected on 51.2% of their two-point attempts (21-for-41). Their free-throw shooting was less impressive, hitting just 9 of 15 for 60%.

Julian Hammond III led the way from deep, hitting 5 of 7 threes at 71.4%, finishing with 22 points. J’Wan Roberts was efficient inside, shooting 81.8% (9-for-11) and adding 20 points. The Cougars also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds but managed just eight assists as a team.

Houston’s defense held their opponent to 59 points, with a 41% shooting performance from the field. They managed to limit two-point opportunities, as the opposing team shot 43% on 10 of 23 attempts.

From beyond the arc, the Cougars allowed nine threes on 23 attempts, a 39% shooting rate. The opponent also went to the line 16 times, converting 12 free throws for a 75% success rate. Houston gave up eight offensive rebounds in the game.

Betting Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Baylor has an ATS record of 1-3-1 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
• The Cougars are 2-1 ATS in their last three home games and 3-0 straight-up.
• The last five games that Baylor was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 0-4-1 while going 0-5 straight up.
• The last ten games that Houston was favored, they have an ATS mark of 5-4-1 while going 9-1 straight up.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

When watching Houston, there are times their offense lacks direction and appears chaotic, and it could end up their downfall when it comes down to tourney time, I see them winning and covering tonight vs Baylor. The Bears lost recently lost by 14 vs Texas Tech and 11 against Kansas of late. I see Houston winning by more than the current line of -8.5.