Houston Cougars vs Xavier Musketeers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/1/23

Planning on watching today’s Cougars and Musketeers game? Catch the action at Cintas Center in Cincinnati, OH, as the Musketeers hosts this showdown at 6:30 ET on FS1. In this non-conference matchup, the Cougars are the betting favorite against the Musketeers. The over/under for the game is 138.5 points.

HOUSTON COUGARS VS XAVIER MUSKETEERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Xavier Musketeers +9.5

This game will be played at Cintas Center at 6:30 ET on Friday, December 1st.

WHY BET THE XAVIER MUSKETEERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 73-68 in favor of the Musketeers.
• Not only will Xavier pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +9.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 138.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 141 points.

Does Houston Have What it Takes on the Road?

Houston, who currently has a 7-0 record, will be playing their 8th game of the season. In their last five road games, including those from last year, Houston has a perfect 5-0 record. Houston’s against the spread record heading into today’s game stands at 4-2. Over their last five games, the team has gone 3-1 vs. the spread.

After seven games, Houston has an over/under record of 1-5-0, with their games averaging a combined 127.2 points per game so far. When looking at the Cougars’ last three games, their over/under record is 1-2, with their games averaging 129 points per game.

In their recent game, the Cougars’ offense concluded with 79 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 76.3 points per contest. On the offensive front, the Cougars have a season-long field goal percentage of 44%, ranking 222nd nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 144th in terms of percentage and 131st in three-pointers made.

Houston’s defense has been playing well, ranking 1st nationally, with 49.0 points allowed per game. In today’s game vs. Xavier, the Houston defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Houston made 18 free-throws vs. the Cougars.

Can Xavier Secure a Home Victory?

Xavier, who is 4-3 on the season, will face Houston in their 8th game. Xavier has a 1-2 record in road games and a 3-1 record at home. As Xavier gets ready to face Houston, their ATS record stands at 4-3. Over their last five games, the team has gone 3-2 vs. the spread.

Xavier’s games have, on average, featured 145.4 points per game leading to an over/under record of 3-4-0. Their average over/under line is currently 145.9 points so far. When assessing the Musketeers’ performance in their last three games, their over/under record stands at 2-1, with their games averaging 154 points per game.

Coming off their recent game, the Xavier offense tallied 76 points in a matchup against Oakland. Their field goal percentage for the game was 41.1%, and they made 7 threes. On the offensive front, the Musketeers have a season-long field goal percentage of 46%, ranking 149th nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 240th in terms of percentage and 273rd in three-pointers made.

The Musketeers’ defense is presently ranked 88th nationally, allowing an average of 68.3 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 5.6 threes per game vs. Houston. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 26.8%.