Houston Cougars vs Arizona Wildcats – NCAAB Betting Analysis, Odds & Picks
The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats and No. 5 Houston Cougars prepare to face off on Thursday night.
The scorching hot Houston Cougars enter this contest with plenty of confidence despite taking on an extremely talented Arizona squad. The Cougars have gone 5-0 over their past five contests and will need every bit of that momentum as they look to upset Arizona.
Unfortunately for the Cougars, the Wildcats happen to be an even hotter team entering Thursday’s action. They are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak and have yet to lose during the month of March.
One of these teams finally has to lose on Thursday. But this is not going to be an easy win for whoever comes out on top. This is destined to be a competitive contest until the very end.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:59 P.M. EST on Thursday, March 24th, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX.
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Betting Analysis for Houston Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats NCAAB Betting Analysis, Picks
Houston Cougars Betting Stats & Analysis
The Cougars covered a narrow spread against a higher-ranked Illinois team over the weekend. Houston handily defeated them 68-53.
Houston did a little bit of everything in the game. They out-rebounded the Fighting Illini and shot a somewhat respectable 42.4 percent from the field. The real story of the game for the Cougars was their stout defensive effort.
Houston caused havoc with eight total steals and 17 total Illinois turnovers. Additionally, they limited the Fighting Illini to a very underwhelming 34 percent field goal percentage and a 24 percent three-point percentage.
The team leaned on Kofi Cockburn from an individual standpoint. The young star posted 19 points and eight rebounds to go along with a block and two steals. Cockburn also hit all seven of his attempts from the free-throw line.
The Cougars’ defense has been the main catalyst during their current win streak. They have limited opponents to an average of under 60 points over the course of their past five games. They will need to continue playing tremendous defense if they hope to overcome the Wildcats on Thursday night.
Arizona Wildcats Betting Stats & Analysis
We discussed Houston’s defense, but Arizona’s offense is a whole different story. They have scored over 80 points in each of their past eight wins, and their offense can score in a myriad of different ways.
They scored 85 points in their 85-80 victory against TCU over the weekend. The most amazing thing about Arizona’s 85-point outburst is the fact that they only shot 18.5 percent from the three-point range in the matchup. That means that almost all of their points came from within the three-point line, which is a rarity in today’s game.
Bennedict Mathurin led the charge with 30 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists.
Christian Koloko also scored 28 points on a highly efficient 12-13 shooting from the field. Koloko added 12 rebounds in a very strong effort as well.
It ended up being a two-man show as nobody else on the team scored more than six points. But when two players combined for 58 points alone, that is something that you can live with. These two players have teamed up to form one of the best duos in college basketball, and they certainly have the ability to lead the Wildcats to the Final Four.
The one area where the Wildcats have been susceptible is on the defensive side of the ball. They have surrendered just over 72 points per contest during their eight-game winning streak. Obviously, it has not matted too much since their elite offense has carried them to victory.
But going up against this strong Houston defense could lead to a difficult night from an offensive perspective, and if their defense fails to hold up, there will be a realistic chance for an upset.
Houston Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats NCAAB Betting Trends
Houston Cougars:
- Houston is 24-12 ATS this year.
- The Cougars are 8-1 ATS at neutral sites.
- They are 1-0 ATS as an underdog.
- Houston is 2-0 ATS so far during the tournament.
- The Cougars own an over/under record of 31-5.
Arizona Wildcats:
- Arizona is 19-15-2 ATS this season.
- The Wildcats are 3-4 ATS at neutral sites.
- They are 18-14-2 ATS as a favorite.
- The Wildcats have gone 0-2 ATS to open the tournament.
- Arizona’s insane offense has led them to an over/under record of 33-3.
Houston Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats NCAAB Betting Odds
- BetUS: Arizona -1.5
- MyBookie: Arizona -1.5
- BetNow: Arizona -1.5
- Bovada: Arizona -1.5
- Betonline: Arizona -1.5
Arizona will look to cover an extremely narrow spread against the Cougars on Thursday.
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How To Bet On: Houston Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats NCAAB – Betting lines
Houston and Arizona have found success in very different ways. In the end, this game will be decided based on how well Houston’s defense holds up against Arizona’s offense.
As for betting on the spread, whichever team covers will likely win the game barring a 1-point difference.
Houston has pieced together an impressive run, and it would not surprise me at all if they pulled off this win. But trying to stop Arizona right now is an extremely difficult task.
The Cougars should be able to put up some points against the questionable Arizona defense, but they lack the offensive firepower to match the Wildcats bucket for bucket.
OBS Betting Picks for Houston Cougars vs Arizona Wildcats NCAAB
Go ahead and roll with the Arizona Wildcats -1.5.
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Pick up the best sports betting site, sign up and make your bet on the Houston Cougars and Arizona Wildcats NCAAB game scheduled for Thursday, March 24th, 2022.
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