AAC foes will battle when the Tulane Green Wave (11-6, 2-3 AAC) take on the Houston Cougars (14-3, 4-1 AAC) at Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 151 points with Houston opening as a 7-point favorite. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPNews.
Houston Cougars vs. Tulane Green Wave Free Preview
The Cougars beat the East Carolina Pirates in their last game, 65-49. Corey Davis Jr. was the games high scorer with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Houston played a nearly flawless game. They had an effective field goal percentage of 0.462 (below their season average of 0.556) and a turnover percentage of 12.9 (better than their season average of 16.2). East Carolina put up marks of 0.351 and 16.2, respectively, for those same stats.
In the Green Wave’s last matchup, they were beaten by the Connecticut Huskies, 67-57. Melvin Frazier was Tulane’s high scorer with 16 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Connecticut had an offensive rebounding percentage of 35.5 (above their season average of 30.1). Tulane, on the other hand, did a great job of making free throws (9-10; 90.0 percent).
Tulane might have a difficult time finding the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the nations best defenses. Houston currently ranks 55th in defensive efficiency while the Green Wave rank 164th in offensive efficiency.
Games including these teams have typically finished under the O/U total. Houston games have gone under 61.5 percent of the time, while Tulane games have gone under 58.3 percent of the time. The Cougars come into this game with much better straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 14-3 SU and 7-6 ATS, while the Green Wave are 11-6 SU and 5-7 ATS.
This is the first time these teams will battle this year. The Cougars won both games played against each other last season. In the last matchup, Houston won 91-62. The Cougars dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a turnover percentage of 12.2 and a ridiculous effective field goal percentage of 0.623. For those same stats, the Green Wave recorded marks of 26.5 and 0.478, respectively.
Houston Cougars at Tulane Green Wave Odds Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Houston, ATS Winner – Houston, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Green Wave rank 34th in assists per game (16.7) while the Cougars rank 75th (15.3).
- Tulane ranks 133rd in three pointers attempted per game (22.1) while Houston ranks 146th in three pointers allowed per game (22.2).
- Houston is 4-5 ATS on the road with 6 unders and 3 overs.
- Tulane is 2-3 ATS at home with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- Houston ranks 29th in rebounds allowed per game (31.5) while Tulane ranks 169th (35.9).
- The Green Wave rank 31st in blocks per game (5.0) while the Cougars rank 97th (3.5).
- Houston ranks 114th in steals per game (6.3) while Tulane ranks 161st in steals allowed per game (7.3).
Betting Trends:
- Tulane is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Houston is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Green Wave have been outscored by an average of 2.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Tulane has defeated opponents by an average of 3.8 points.
- During their last five games, the Cougars have scored an average of 77.4 points per game (2.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 66.8 points per game (0.1 above their season average).
