— Thursday, March 24th Houston Cougars @ Arizona Wildcats
The No. 1 seeded Arizona Wildcats (33-3) and the No. 5 Houston Cougars (31-5) got to the Sweet 16 in different ways, and now they battle for a spot in the South Regional Final. The Wildcats had to rally and then beat TCU in overtime while Houston rather easily took care of Illinois. Tipoff Thursday is set for 9:59 p.m. at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, airing on TBS.
These teams have 11 all-time matchups, but none since 2009. Arizona has a 6-5 lead in the series, and they have never met in the NCAA Tournament. Houston went to the Final Four last year, while Arizona has bowed out in the Elite Eight or Sweet 16 nine times since falling in the title game in 2001.
Wildcats Tough to Stop
The Wildcats are 20-15-1 ATS, and the over is 21-15 in their 36 games this season. Arizona is 16-3 away from home on the season and 7-0 in neutral site games. The over is 7-1 in their last eight games, as they have scored at least 81 points in each of those games.
Arizona ranks third in the nation in scoring at 84.7 ppg, and they lead the nation in rebounding with 42.8 per game. The Wildcats rank fifth in the nation in FG% (49.4) but 121st in 3-Point% (34.9). Defensively they hold teams to 31.5% from deep and rank sixth in the nation allowing just 38.2% shooting overall.
Bennedict Mathurin leads Arizona in scoring at 17.8 ppg and also grabs 5.7 rpg. He scored 30 points against TCU on Sunday and 16 in the first-round win over Wright State. The sophomore also scored 27 points in the Pac-12 Championship Game, and he’s added 11 assists plus 17 rebounds in the last three games.
Azuolas Tubelis averages 14.2 ppg with 6.3 rpg and shoots 55% from the field. Christian Koloko leads the team in rebounding at 7.4 per game while scoring 12.7 ppg and shooting 64% from the floor. Koloko has double-doubles in both NCAA Tournament games this season, and he was 12-for-13 from the floor against TCU, finishing with 28 points.
Arizona shot just 5-of-27 from 3-point range in the win over TCU, with sharpshooter Kerr Kriisa going 1-for-10. Kriisa missed the Wright State game and the last two games of the Pac-12 Tournament after suffering an ankle injury. On the season, he shoots 34.2% from deep and averages 9.9 ppg.
Cougars Get Defensive
The Cougars are 24-12 ATS on the season and have covered in each of their last five games. The under is 19-15-2 in their 36 games, and they are 8-1 in neutral site games this season. Houston has won five straight games by double figures and held three of those opponents under 60 points.
The offense ranks 60th in the nation at 75.9 ppg, and they are 46th in shooting percentage at 46.7. They don’t shoot the 3-pointer well (34.2%), but they are 19th against the 3-pointer (29.6%). In fact, the Cougars have the toughest defense to shoot against in the nation at 37.2%, and they allow just 58.9 ppg, seventh in the country.
In the win over Illinois, Taze Moore led the way with 21 points to go with seven rebounds while J. Shead had 18 points. Kyler Edwards had 15 points and made four 3-pointers while also grabbing six boards and handing out four assists. Houston beat the Illini on the boards 39-33 with 15 offensive rebounds and also held Illinois to 34 percent shooting.
Edwards leads the team on the season at 13.9 ppg and averages 6.0 rpg with 93 3-pointers made. Fabian White Jr. had just six points against Illinois, but he averages 13.0 ppg on the season. Moore averages 10.5 ppg while Josh Carlton leads the team at 6.3 rpg to go with 11.8 ppg.
Betting Analysis
Arizona Wildcats -2.0 (-110). Money Line -130
Houston Cougars (-110) Money Line +110
Total: 145. Over -110. Under -110
Mathurin has found another gear in the tournament, and it will be a tough task for the Cougars’ formidable defense. Houston handled Illinois center Kofi Cockburn over the weekend, but the Wildcats have multiple big men who can score and rebound. Houston will need some scoring from the inside and to do everything they can to slow down Arizona, easier said than done.
Betting Pick: Arizona -2 (-110)
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