Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Houston Cougars Free Prediction 03/17/19

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The 24th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats (27-6, 16-4 AAC) battle against the 11th-ranked Houston Cougars (31-2, 18-2 AAC) in the American Athletic Conference Tournament at FedExForum. Action begins at 3:15 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 17, 2019, and can be seen on ESPN.

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Houston Cougars Betting Odds

Both teams barely defeated their last opponent. The Cougars defeated the Memphis Tigers 61-58, while the Bearcats beat the Wichita State Shockers 66-63.

Cincinnati dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had an extraordinary offensive rebounding percentage of 42.9 (above their season average of 37.2) and a turnover percentage of 8.7 (better than their season average of 13.7). For those same stats, Wichita State recorded marks of 27.3 and 12.7, respectively. Meanwhile, Houston’s effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Memphis. The Cougars had a rate of 0.412 (below their season average of 0.530), while the Tigers posted a mark of 0.265 (below their season average of 0.520). Corey Davis Jr. had a solid performance for Houston, putting up 17 points and five rebounds. Tre Scott played a pivotal role for Cincinnati with 12 points and eight rebounds.

The game should be a matchup of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Houston takes on the elite defense of Cincinnati. The Cougars rank 29th in offensive efficiency, while the Bearcats are 42nd in defensive efficiency.

Cincinnati vs. Houston ATS Pick

Prediction: SU Winner – Houston, ATS Winner – Houston, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • Houston ranks 61st in three pointers attempted per game (25.4) while Cincinnati ranks 276th (19.1).
  • The Cougars rank 50th in assists per game (15.1) while the Bearcats rank 128th (13.7).
  • Cincinnati is second in the nation with 3.9 steals allowed per game while Houston is 53rd with 5.4 steals allowed per game.
  • The Cougars rank 11th in blocks allowed per game (2.3) while the Bearcats rank 152nd (3.7).
  • Houston ranks third in rebounds per game (41.2) while Cincinnati ranks 117th (36.2).

Bettings Trends:

  • During their last five games, the Cougars have scored an average of 76.8 points per game (0.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 64.0 points per game (3.0 above their season average).
  • The Bearcats have been outscored by an average of 1.2 points in their last five games. On the season, Cincinnati has defeated opponents by an average of 9.4 points.