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The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (29-2, 17-1 AAC) and the No. 9 seed East Carolina Pirates (16-16, 6-12 AAC) face off in the AAC Tournament Friday at Dickies Arena. Gametime is at 1:00 PM.
Houston is a major 23-point favorite against East Carolina when the Cougars take the court against the Pirates on Friday. The over/under is 133.5 points for the game.
Houston vs. East Carolina Odds
Point Spread for Houston vs. East Carolina
The spread for this matchup is set at 23 points, with bookmakers listing Houston as the favorite.
Houston vs. East Carolina Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Houston has -7564 odds to pick up the win, while East Carolina is listed at +1710 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 133.5 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Friday, March 10, 2023
- Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN2
- Location: Fort Worth, Texas
- Arena: Dickies Arena
Houston vs. East Carolina Betting Trends
In Houston’s 31 games this season, it has 17 wins against the spread. The Cougars have been victorious in 24, or 92.3%, of the 26 contests they have been chosen as favorites in this season. Houston’s games this year have gone over the point total 14 times in 32 opportunities (43.8%).
East Carolina has 19 wins against the spread in 32 games this year. The Pirates have won eight of the 21 games they were the underdog on the moneyline this season (38.1%). East Carolina’s games this year have gone over the point total 17 times in 32 opportunities (53.1%).
Houston vs. East Carolina Key Players to Watch
Houston
Marcus Sasser paces his team in points per game (17.1), and also posts 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Defensively, he delivers 1.7 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Jamal Shead puts up a team-leading 5.4 assists per contest. He is also averaging 9.9 points and 3.2 rebounds, shooting 42% from the field and 32.8% from downtown with 1.2 made 3-pointers per game. J’wan Roberts leads his team in rebounds per game (7.2), and also averages 10.5 points and 1 assists. At the other end, he posts 0.7 steals and 1.3 blocked shots. Jarace Walker posts 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. At the other end, he averages 1 steal and 1 block.
East Carolina
Brandon Johnson is the Pirates’ top rebounder (8.2 per game), and he delivers 12.5 points and 1.9 assists. RJ Felton paces the Pirates in scoring (14 points per game), and posts 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He also posts 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocked shots. Jaden Walker tops the Pirates in assists (3.1 per game), and posts 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. He also delivers 1.3 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. Ezra Ausar gives the Pirates 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. He also puts up 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocked shots.
What you need to know about the Houston Cougars
Houston’s AAC games have hit the over 10 out of 18 times this season. The Cougars are averaging 76 points per game this season (78th-ranked in college basketball), but they’ve really shined defensively, allowing just 56.5 points per game (second-best). Houston is playing well in terms of rebounding, as it ranks 16th-best in college basketball in boards (35.8 per game) and ninth-best in rebounds allowed (26.7 per contest).
Houston is sinking 8 treys per game (105th-ranked in college basketball). It sports a 35.2% shooting percentage (120th-ranked) from downtown. With a 28% three-point percentage allowed this season, the Cougars are second-best in the country. They rank 74th in college basketball by allowing 6.4 treys per contest.
The Cougars have a 3-6-1 record against the spread while going 10-0 overall in their past 10 games. Five of Houston’s last 10 contests have hit the over. Houston has been racking up 77.3 points per contest in its last 10 appearances, an average that’s a little higher than the 76 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 season. The last 10 games have seen Houston concede 4.8 more points per game (61.3) than its season-long average (56.5).
What you need to know about the East Carolina Pirates
East Carolina has won 10 games against the spread this year in conference action, while failing to cover or pushing nine times. The Pirates score 69.5 points per game and give up 70.8, ranking them 233rd in the country offensively and 200th on defense. East Carolina is 87th in college basketball in rebounds per game (33.3) and 210th in rebounds conceded (31.6).
East Carolina makes 7.7 3-pointers per game and shoots 32% from beyond the arc, ranking 140th and 299th, respectively, in college basketball. Giving up 6.5 3-pointers per game and conceding 32.9% from beyond the arc, the Pirates are 82nd and 119th in the country, respectively, in those categories.
The Pirates have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games, with a 6-2-2 record against the spread in that span. East Carolina has hit the over in five of its last 10 contests. East Carolina is compiling 69.6 points per contest in its previous 10 games, compared to its season average of 69.5. The Pirates have fared worse defensively over their past 10 games, ceding 72.7 points per contest, 1.9 more points their than season average of 70.8.
Houston vs. East Carolina Prediction & Pick
Our pick to win this matchup is Houston, and we expect that East Carolina will cover the spread (Houston -23). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 133.5 points.
How to bet Houston vs. East Carolina
You can bet on Houston vs. East Carolina at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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