Toledo Rockets vs Houston Cougars Prediction, 12/18/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Toledo Rockets vs Houston Cougars

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Location: Fertitta Center in Houston, TX

TV: ESPN+

The Houston Cougars (6-3) will try to beat the Toledo Rockets (6-4) at Fertitta Center on Wednesday.

The Toledo Rockets stepped onto the hardwood against Youngstown State and took a loss by a score of 93-87 in their last game. Toledo ended the contest with a 46.7% FG percentage (28 out of 60) and made 4 of 12 shots from downtown. From the charity stripe, the Rockets made 27 of 37 tries for a rate of 73.0%. When talking about pulling down boards, they earned 32 with 13 of them being of the offensive sort. They also recorded 8 assists for the game as well as forcing the other team into 10 turnovers and earning 7 steals. When discussing defense, Toledo allowed their opponent to shoot 49.2% from the field on 29 out of 59 shooting. Youngstown State dished out 18 assists and had 6 steals for this game. In addition, Youngstown State pulled down 30 rebounds (10 offensive, 20 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Youngstown State finished the contest at 82.1% from the free throw line by making 23 of their 28 tries. They converted 12 out of their 32 attempts from beyond the perimeter. Regarding personal fouls, the Rockets walked away with 24 while Youngstown State accounted for 24 personal fouls.

Sam Lewis is someone who was important in this matchup. He accounted for 21 points on 7 of 14 shooting. He was on the court for 30 mins and also snagged 8 rebounds. He went 50.0% from the floor but finished the game without an assist.

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Toledo will enter this game with a mark of 6-4 this year. They are averaging 81.2 pts per game (67th in Division 1) while connecting on 48.3% from the field. The Rockets are connecting on 34.9% on 3-pointers (65 of 186) and 69.8% from the free throw line. As a unit, Toledo is collecting 34.5 rebounds per game and has accumulated 150 dimes for the campaign, which is 192nd in college in terms of passing the rock. They turn the ball over 8.7 times per contest and as a unit they commit 14.8 fouls every game.

On defense, the Rockets have forced 11.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.0 personal fouls. They are surrendering 36.1% on three-point shots while they are 311th in college hoops in points per game allowed (77.3). The Rockets are giving up a shooting percentage of 47.1% (291 of 618) and they concede 35.5 boards per game as a team. They are ranked 153rd in Division 1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 132 conceded this season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Houston Cougars took home the win by a final score of 62-42 when they played Troy. When talking about rebounds, Houston permitted Troy to snag 24 overall (11 on the offensive side). They finished the game shooting 11.1% from downtown by shooting 2 of 18 and ended up shooting 16 of 22 from the free throw line (72.7%). The Cougars allowed Troy to bury 12 out of their 50 tries from the field which had them shooting 24.0% in this game. Overall, the Cougars ended up shooting 22 for 51 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 43.1%. Concerning shooting from downtown, Houston buried 9 of their 19 tries (47.4%). They were able to make 9 of those for a rate of 64.3%. Troy had 18 fouls in this game which took the Cougars to the free throw line for 14 shots. They also gave up possession of the ball 8 times, while recording 7 steals in the game. The Cougars earned 24 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive boards totaling 34 in this matchup.

LJ Cryer pitched in for the Cougars in this matchup. He buried 8 of 11 in this matchup for a rate of 72.7%, and had 2 rebounds. He earned 22 points in his 32 minutes on the court, but wrapped up this contest with no dimes.

Houston has a win-loss mark of 6-3 so far this year. The Cougars commit 17.7 fouls per contest while shooting 73.5% from the free throw line. They are dishing out assists 13.8 times per game (203rd in college hoops) and they are turning it over 9.2 times per contest. Houston has accumulated 693 pts for the year (77.0 per contest) and they snag 38.6 rebounds per contest. On the offensive side of the court, the Cougars are connecting on 45.4% from the field, which is ranked 175th in the nation.

The Houston defense allows 29.3% on three-point shots (63 of 215) and opponents are connecting on 70.6% of their shots from the free throw line. They have given up 9.9 dimes and 33.0 boards per game, which is ranked 20th and 114th in those categories. The Cougars on the defensive end are ranked 3rd in D-1 in points given up per game with 56.4. They have forced 14.3 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 34.9% from the field (1st in Division 1).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Houston

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