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No. 12 Houston rebounded from its unexpected loss to Wichita State by handing Cincinnati a 38-point loss on Sunday. The Cougars are looking to get off to a strong start this week, and will host Western Kentucky in a non-conference matchup on Thursday. This game was a very late add to the schedule for two teams in search of NET points heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Houston (18-3, 12-3) has been dominant for most of the year, but two of its three losses have come against unranked opponents. The Cougars are among the best in college basketball when it comes to blowing teams out, and junior guard Quentin Grimes has a lot to do with that. Grimes is Houston’s leading scorer and recently bounced back from a shooting slump to rack up at least 20 points in two of his last three games. The visiting team will have to buckle down to stop the Cougars’ offensive onslaught.
Western Kentucky (15-4, 8-2) sits atop the Conference USA standings. The Hilltoppers are amid a six-game winning streak and have proven that they can beat top-notch teams. They toppled No. 6 Alabama in December and came close to beating No. 10 West Virginia as well. Junior center Charles Bassey is a walking double-double and makes everything happen for Western Kentucky. He has 12 double-doubles on the year and leads his team in points, rebounds, and blocks per game. WKU is on the bubble according to many bracketologists, and a win here could greatly sure up their chance at an at-large bid.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch Western Kentucky vs. Houston on Thursday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the ESPN app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: Houston -12
Point Total: 136
Money line: Western Kentucky +600, Houston -910
- Houston is 14-5 ATS overall and 9-2 at home
- Western Kentucky is 9-10 ATS overall and 6-3 on the road
The Best Bet
The Cougars have secured quite a few blowout victories this year, beating their opponents by an average of 18 points per game. Only No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 Baylor can beat that mark. Houston has won all but one of its home games by double-digits. Picking the underdog to cover would be very bold.
Pick: Houston -12
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