Houston vs Wichita State Picks and Odds (Feb. 20)

• The Houston vs Wichita State odds favor the Cougars by 7-points on Sunday (Feb. 20) at 1pm ET
• Houston won the first meeting between the two programs this season 76-66 at home
• Read below for the Houston vs Wichita State odds, analysis, and betting prediction

A year after a run to the Final Four, #14 Houston looks like a national title contender once again. The Cougars currently reside atop the AAC standings with six games remaining, and a victory on Sunday (Feb. 20) at Wichita State would move them one step closer to at least a share of their third regular-season conference title in the past four seasons.

Houston vs Wichita State Odds

Odds as of Feb. 19th at BetMGM.

The Cougars opened up as a 7-point favorite over the Shockers, in a contest that features a total of 132.5. Tip-off is scheduled for 1pm ET at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, KS, with ESPN providing the broadcast coverage.

Houston Cougars Betting Analysis

Houston enters play on Sunday fresh off a convincing 70-52 win over UCF. The victory snapped a two-game skid, in which they fell to SMU and Memphis, the two programs ranked directly behind them in the conference standings.

Prior to those two losses, the Cougars reeled off 12 straight wins, and they looked much closer to that version of the team versus the Knights, especially on defense.

They held UCF to 28.3% from the field, while limiting them to 10 assists and forcing 10 turnovers. It was a historic night for senior Fabian White, as he scored 12 points and became the winningest player in the program’s history.

MANY great players in @UHouston history….

But none have more wins than graduate Fabian White Jr @3five_ tonight

1️⃣1️⃣0️⃣ Ws for #3️⃣5️⃣

Congrats, Fabian! pic.twitter.com/RypREbvy21

— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 18, 2022

Houston boasts the best scoring defense in the AAC by a sizeable margin, and ranks fourth nationally in opponent points per game (58). They lead the country in enemy field goal percentage (36.5%), and rank third in college hoops in average score margin (+18.1).

COOGS WIN!
presented by @thejointchiro@UHouston moves to 21-4 overall, 10-2 in #AmericanHoops@kyleredwards_ | 10 pts | 9 rebs | 7 asts@TazeMoore | 14 pts | 7 rebs | 3 asts

NEXT – #AmericanHoops at Wichita State, Noon, SUNDAY, Wichita, Kan.#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/fjSC7WhDA2

— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 18, 2022

Offensively, the numbers aren’t quite as impressive, but they’re certainly no slouch at that end of the court. They rank second in the conference in points, field goal percentage and total rebounding, while ranking first in assists and fourth in three-point efficiency.

They shot 45% in their first meeting with the Shockers this season, a 76-66 victory, while dominating both the rebounding and assist categories.

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Wichita State Shockers Betting Analysis

The Shockers have made the NCAA Tournament in eight of the past 10 seasons, but it will take a miracle for them to get back to March Madness this year. The only way they’re returning to the Big Dance is if they win the conference tournament, which seems highly unlikely given their 4-7 record in AAC play.

They’ve dropped two of their last three contests, including last time out against Cincinnati 85-76. Wichita State shot a respectable 45% from the field, but were abysmal from three (27.8%), and had no answer for the Bearcats’ offense.

Bearcats had the hot hand tonight. 11-for-19 from 3. pic.twitter.com/NXca2rzGj5

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) February 18, 2022

The Shockers yielded a 55.2% field goal percentage to Cincy, including 57.9% from beyond the arc. They’re typically a strong defensive team, ranking fourth in the conference in scoring defense, but the Bearcats had their way with them.

Offense has been Wichita State’s main issue this season, as they rank eighth in the AAC in points per game, and ninth in field goal percentage and three-point efficiency. They’ve scored fewer than 70 points in eight of their past 12 games which doesn’t inspire too much confidence for Sunday’s matchup against the elite Cougars defense.

Houston vs Wichita State Pick

The Shockers have struggled not only to win games outright lately, but to cover the spread as well. They’re 0-3 ATS in their past three contests, and 3-6 against the number over their past nine outings. Wichita State has covered in just five of 15 home games this season, and in four of 11 conference tilts.

https://youtu.be/SvO6Vr_rvpc

Houston on the other hand, has beaten the spread in five of its past eight outings, and should be at least a 10-point favorite in this spot. They should have no problem slowing down the Shockers 159th ranked offense, and another double-digit victory is likely, similar to their first meeting. Take the discounted price and back the far superior program.

Pick: Houston Cougars -7 (-110)