The Cougars and Cyclones take the court for a Big 12 conference game as Houston looks to keep their place at the top of the conference. Iowa State, 0-1 in Big 12 play, wants to avoid starting 0-2, which would seriously dent any hopes of realistically competing for a conference title. Iowa State has the advantage of playing at home, but taking on the undefeated, No. 3 Houston Cougars is a massive challenge.
Houston is 8-6 against the spread and has covered its last three matchups. The Cougars also boast one of the top defenses in the country, with the UNDER hitting in 10 out of 14 contests this season. Iowa State is strong in its own right at 11-3 on the season. The Cyclones have won six of their last seven, covering in five. They also are strong offensively, hitting the OVER in six of their last eight.
Look at the live odds for Tuesday night's Big 12 game as Houston travels to Iowa State. TV coverage will be on ESPN2 with a scheduled 7 p.m. ET tipoff. Here is the Houston vs. Iowa State betting news, player props and a betting prediction for the matchup.
Live odds for Houston vs. Iowa State
Here are the Houston vs. Iowa State live odds with spread, moneyline and total points markets at the best online sportsbooks.
More college hoops betting: College Basketball Odds: NCAAB Betting Lines, Spreads and Futures | March Madness Betting Sites
Houston Cougars betting news
The Cougars rank first on Kenpom behind a defense that is No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, holding opponents to an average of just 49.8 points a game. The Cougars defense prides itself on a fantastic man-to-man style, and to get on the floor for Houston, you must be a great individual defender.
Defense is the strongest side of the floor for the Cougars, but their offense is pretty good as well. They rank 10th for adjusted offensive efficiency on Kenpom. Houston spreads out its scoring with four players averaging between four and seven points, another three averaging between seven and 10, and two players in double figures.
The go-to guy on offense for Houston is leading scorer L.J. Cryer (17.1 PPG). The Baylor transfer has been a big addition for the Cougars and is having the best season of his college career. Cryer a three-point sniper, making 3.3 a game and shooting 40.7% from long range. The senior also plays best in the biggest games, scoring 20 points against West Virginia, 17 against Texas A&M and 23 against Xavier.
If Iowa State wants to give Houston its first loss of the season, it will start with trying to slow down Cryer. Outside of Cryer, Jamal Shead is the other player to watch out for. Shead is a do-it-all guy, scoring 9.7 PPG and leading the team with 6.2 assists per game and 2.4 steals per outing.
Iowa State Cyclones betting news
Iowa State ranks fifth for adjusted defensive efficiency on Kenpom. This is a rare situation where the Cyclones might not be the better defensive team in the court, but they'll have home-court advantage is on their side.
The Cyclones offense only ranks 52 for adjusted offensive efficiency but has been better lately. They will need to continue that trend to keep it close against Houston — the Cougars have been beating opponents easily for most of the season. Iowa State's offense is similar to Houston's in many ways, with a balanced attack and many players contributing scoring.
Four players are averaging double figures, and two more are close at over nine. Tamin Lipsey is the team's leading scorer (14.7 PPG), shooting 39.6% from three. Third-leading scorer Milan Momcilovic (13.5 PPG) shoots 43.5% from. Between the two, they need to have great nights from three, as it will likely be a defensive battle between the Cougars and Cyclones, and a couple of threes could turn the tides of the game.
If there's one area of weakness for the Cyclones, it's that they only shoot 69.6% from the free-throw line. If they want a chance to pull the upset, they'll need to do better against a highly ranked Houston team.
Houston vs. Iowa State player props at FanDuel Sportsbook
- Houston 66.5 total points OVER (-110) / UNDER (-114)
- Iowa State 64.5 total points OVER (-118) / UNDER (-106)
- 1st half moneyline: Houston (-132) vs. Iowa State (+106)
- 1st half spread: Houston -0.5 (-118) vs. Iowa State +0.5 (-104)
- 1st half total: 61.5 total points OVER (-118) / UNDER (-106)
- 2nd half moneyline: Houston (-128) vs. Iowa State (+102)
- 2nd half spread: Houston -0.5 (-116) vs. Iowa State +0.5 (-106)
- 2nd half total: 68.5 total points OVER (-118) / UNDER (-106)
- Two or more three-pointers made in first three minutes YES (+245) / NO (-340)
- Both teams to score in the first two minutes YES (-164) / NO (+128)
- 2.5 total points in the first minute of the game OVER (-192) / UNDER (+142)
Houston vs. Iowa State prediction: Cougars remain undefeated after road battle
Expect tonight's game to be a defensive battle showcasing two of the top defensive teams in the country. This Big 12 matchup will likely come down to a few crucial possessions late in the game. Houston has shown it can excel in those late-game situations. That, added with Iowa State's free throw struggles, sets up nicely for the Cougars to maintain their spotless record.
Pick: Houston
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