Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros vs Chicago State Cougars Betting Pick & Prediction 12/18/23

Betting on today’s Vaqueros and Cougars game? Catch the action at Jones Convocation Center in Chicago, IL, as the Cougars hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 144 points, and the Cougars are the home favorites against the Vaqueros in a non-conference matchup.

TEXAS-RIO GRANDE VALLEY VAQUEROS VS CHICAGO STATE COUGARS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago State Cougars -2.5

This game will be played at Jones Convocation Center at 8:00 ET on Monday, December 18th.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO STATE COUGARS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Cougars.
• Not only will Chicago State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 144 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.

Taking a Look at the Vaqueros Chances in Chicago

In their 12th game of the season, Texas-Rio Grande Valley comes in with a record of 3-8. In their last five road games, including those from last year, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has gone 1-4. Against the spread, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has compiled a 4-4 record thus far. In their previous five games, they have gone 3-2 ATS.

So far, Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s games have averaged 149.2 points per game with the average over/under line being 153.6 points. The Vaqueros’ have recorded an over/under record of 2-1 in their last three games, with their games averaging 154 points per game.

Coming off their recent game, the Texas-Rio Grande Valley offense tallied 76 points in a matchup against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Their field goal percentage for the game was 50%, and they made 6 threes. The top scorer for the Vaqueros was Ahren Freeman with 23 points, while J.J. Howard also chipped in with 16 points.

Currently, the Vaqueros’ defense holds the 256th rank in the nation, allowing 80.3 points per game. So far, the Texas-Rio Grande Valley defense is giving up an average of 8.3 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 13.7 times per game (592nd).

Does Chicago State Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

The Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros come into this game with a 5-9 overall record. In their previous ten home games, which includes last year, Chicago State has a record of 4-6. At the moment, Chicago State has a winning ATS record, sitting at 6-5-1. In their last ten games, Chicago State is 3-2 vs. the spread.

After 14 games, Chicago State has an over/under record of 6-6-0, with their games averaging a combined 138.9 points per game so far. The Cougars have an over/under record of 1-2 in their last three games, with their games averaging 129 points per game.

The Chicago State offense is coming off a game in which they scored 63 points vs. Valparaiso. Overall their field goal percentage was 46.5% while connecting on 6 threes. Coming into the game, the Cougars offense has strugled with their outside shot this season, hitting threes at a rate of just 28%. On average, they get up 20 three-point attempts per game and are averaging 15.5 made free-throws.

So far, the Cougars’ defense is ranked 157th in the country at 71.8 points per contest. Against Valparaiso in their most recent game, the Chicago State defense gave up a total of 62 points while allowing Valparaiso to hit 40% of their shots.