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First takes on second at the Fertitta Center on Monday when the Houston Cougars face the Iowa State Cyclones. The Cougars (-500) are favorites and will be looking to take control of the Big 12 when the two colleges clash. In our latest NCAAB betting picks we tell you how they will get on.
- What; 2023/24 NCAA Men’s Basketball
- Who; Houston Cougars vs. Iowa State Cyclones
- Where; Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas
- When; Monday, February 19th 2024
- Tip-Off; 9 pm ET
Both teams have 9-3 records in the Big 12. But it’s Houston who has the home-court advantage for this fixture. With a 14-0 record at the Fertitta Center, they will be looking to use this advantage to see them pull clear of the Cyclones in the race to win the Big 12 Conference in the regular season.
Latest betting to win the Big 12 regular season
Houston is -215 to top the table. The Cyclones are +220. A lot is riding on tonight’s match, with betting sites seeing the Conference as a straight fight between these colleges.
Outside the leading two in the betting are Kansas and Baylor at +1400. Texas Tech and BYU are both +3500.
Betting to win the Men’s 2024 NCAA Basketball Championship
The best college basketball betting sites have UConn as their favorite to defend their Men’s NCAA Championship. The Huskies had been +600 in recent weeks. But they have now been cut to just +450 to win the Championship for a second year in succession.
The Purdue Boilermakers are second in the betting at +700, with the Houston Cougars next at +900. Arizona and Tennessee are both at +1200, with North Carolina at +1800. Alabama and Iowa are now at +2000, with Kansas at +2200 and Duke and Marquette making up the favorites at +2500.
Houston Cougars vs. Iowa State Cyclones Match Betting
The latest NCAAB betting lines heavily favor a win for the home college. Houston is -500 on the money line with Bovada. The Cyclones are +350.
On the handicap spread, the Cyclones are receiving a 9.5-point advantage. To win with the spread, Iowa is -105 with BetOnline. To win and cover the spread, Houston is -110 with Bovada. The Cougars have been cut to -115 with BetOnline in his market.
The total points amount is 127.5, with over and under both at -110. More betting options are available on our college basketball odds table. For our odds, we only use the top-rated NCAA basketball betting sites.
| Houston vs. Iowa |  |  |  |
| Houston | -500 | N/A | N/A |
| Iowa | +375 | N/A | N/A |
| Houston (-9.5) | -110 | -115 | -110 |
| Iowa (+9.5) | -110 | -105 | -110 |
| Over 127.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 127.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Houston Cougars vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Latest Form
The Cougars are 9-3 in the Conference with an overall record of 22-3 this season. At home, they are 14-0 and on the road, 4-3. They are on a winning streak of three, with their most recent win coming against the Longhorns (82-61) on Saturday.
ICYMI…
Back to work at 8 pm MONDAY in Fertitta Center in battle of Big 12 leaders#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/NaX4Fknxoz
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 18, 2024
In their two matches before the Longhorns’ victory, Houston defeated Cincinnati 67-62 on the road and the Oklahoma State Cowboys (79-63) at the Fertitta Center. The Cougars’ last loss came away to the Kansas Jayhawks at the start of the month. On that occasion, Kelvin Sampson’s team lost by 13 points (78-65) at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Iowa State Cowboys also have a 9-3 record in the Conference this season. Overall, they are inferior to tonight’s opponents, T.J. Otzelberger’s team is 20-5 this season. Like the Cougars, Iowa is 100% at home (15-0), and on the road, they have a more than respectable 4-3 record.
The Cyclones are on a four-match winning streak, with their most recent win against Texas Tech (82-74) last Saturday.
Brunch was Good.#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/AOoDKGbzIf
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 17, 2024
That home-court win followed road trip wins over Cincinnati (68-59) and the Texas Longhorns (70-65). Along with a home victory over TCU (71-59).
Houston Cougars vs. Iowa State Cyclones Betting Picks
With a 100% home-court record, it’s going to take a lot for the Cyclones to stop the Cougars from winning tonight. In fairness, Iowa State has a respectable away record, but that’s not going to be enough.
Although we understand why the Cougars are -500 on the money line, we are still not backing them to win at those odds. We do see Kelvin Sampson’s team winning, though. This is why we are backing them to cover at the better odds of -110.
Sampson’s team has solid defense in its DNA. They are ranked No.1 in terms of adjusted defensive efficiency and are just so hard to break down. On average, the Cougars concede the least points per match (55). They don’t have a star player who dominates but is a well-oiled physical defensive unit.
Expect the Cyclones to push Houston all the way. But, we feel that the Cougars will wear them down and just about get the 10 points needed to cover.
For our betting pick, we are going for Houston to win and cover.
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