Houston Cougars vs Wichita State Shockers Prediction, 2/2/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Cougars vs Wichita State Shockers

Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023

Location: Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, KS

TV: ESPN2

The Houston Cougars (20-2) are hitting the road to Charles Koch Arena on Thursday where they will attempt to beat the Wichita State Shockers (11-10).

The Houston Cougars stepped onto the hardwood against Cincinnati and took home the win by a score of 75-69 in their last contest. Houston walked away from the game having earned a 56.6% FG percentage (30 out of 53) and knocked down 5 of their 17 3-point shots. At the free throw line, the Cougars made 10 of 16 shots for a percentage of 62.5%. When it comes to rebounding, they earned 30 with 6 of them being of the offensive sort. They also dished out 13 assists in this contest while forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and earning 3 steals. In reference to defense, Houston allowed their opponent to shoot 44.3% from the floor on 27 of 61 shooting. Cincinnati totaled 15 dimes and had 4 steals in the game. On top of that, Cincinnati had 26 rebounds (9 offensive, 17 defensive), but didn't have a block. Cincinnati ended up going 57.1% at the free throw line by burying 4 of 7 attempts. They knocked down 11 out of their 27 attempts from 3-point land. Concerning personal fouls, the Cougars ended up finishing with 12 while Cincinnati racked up 16 personal fouls.

Jarace Walker is one guy who was a major factor in this matchup. He ended up finishing with 25 points on 10 out of 14 shooting. He saw the court for 37 mins and also collected 7 rebounds. He went 71.4% from the floor and also dished out 2 dimes.

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Houston comes into this game with a win-loss mark of 20-2 so far this season. They lose possession via turnover 9.9 times per contest and as a basketball team they are committing 15.5 fouls every game. As a team, Houston is grabbing 39.2 boards per contest and has accumulated 318 dimes so far this season, which is 108th in college basketball in terms of passing. The Cougars are connecting on 35.7% on 3-point shots (170 of 476) and 69.7% from the free throw line. They average 75.4 points per outing (94th in the country) while shooting 47.1% from the floor.

On defense, the Cougars are able to force 14.7 turnovers per contest and they draw 16.0 personal fouls. They surrender 26.8% on 3-point attempts while they are 3rd in the nation in PPG allowed (54.9). The Cougars defense is giving up a FG percentage of 35.2% (402 of 1,143) and they surrender 31.5 rebounds per contest as a unit. They are currently ranked 20th in college basketball in giving up assists with 213 conceded for the season.

For their last game, the Wichita State Shockers got the victory with a final of 85-72 when they played East Carolina. When discussing attacking the glass, Wichita State permitted East Carolina to grab 33 in total (13 on the offensive side). They finished 31.4% from distance by shooting 11 of 35 and walked away from this one shooting 11 out of 12 from the free throw line (91.7%). The Shockers permitted East Carolina to make 25 of 67 tries from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 37.3% in this contest. When the game finished, the Shockers ended up shooting 29 for 57 from the field which gave them a rate of 50.9%. With regard to 3-point attempts, Wichita State buried 5 of their 14 attempts (35.7%). They were able to convert 22 of the free throws for a rate of 81.5%. East Carolina was called for 22 personal fouls for the game which took the Shockers to the charity stripe for a total of 27 attempts. They turned it over 11 times, while earning 6 steals in this game. The Shockers were able to pull down 25 defensive boards and 8 offensive rebounds for a total of 33 for this game.

Craig Porter was important for the Shockers for this game. He converted 8 out of 13 for the game for a rate of 61.5%, and accounted for 8 rebounds. He earned 20 points in his 27 mins on the court and tallied 4 assists in the matchup.

Wichita State has a win-loss record of 11-10 for the campaign. The Shockers are responsible for committing 14.8 personal fouls per contest and they connect on 72.1% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 11.5 times per game (310th in Division 1) and they turn the ball over 11.9 times per contest. Wichita State has tallied 1,435 points this year (68.3 per contest) and they average 36.1 boards per contest. As an offense, the Shockers are hitting on 42.5% from the floor, which ranks them 290th in college hoops.

The Wichita State defense gives up 31.2% from downtown (158 of 506) and their opponents are knocking down 72.8% of their free throw attempts. They give up 13.1 dimes and 35.9 rebounds per contest, which is 220th and 285th in those defensive categories. The Shockers on the defensive side of the court are 76th in college hoops in PPG given up with 65.9. They are forcing their opponents into 12.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 39.1% from the floor (12th in college basketball).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston

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